Research Fundamentals: Ethics, Conceptualization, and Operationalization

Research Fundamentals: Ethics, Conceptualization, and Operationalization

Question 1

Ethical Issues Involved in Research Problem

Studying human behavior creates a number of ethical considerations and ethical dilemmas for social science researchers. Social scientists have responsibilities to their respective disciplines and to their subjects. For this reason most major professional associations, such as the American Sociological Association, have established formal guidelines for conducting research. Despite these guidelines, researchers must still make difficult decisions about important ethical issues when they conduct their research.

The first issue centers on professional integrity. Researchers must provide accurate data and openly acknowledge any potential biases (Hardle, 2007). The outright forging of data is obviously unethical; unfortunately, several cases of data forgery have been uncovered. Social science researchers have certain biases that may affect the choice of research topics and the results of that research (Bernard, 2006). It is the researchers' responsibility to openly admit to any bias that they may have and who is funding their research.

A second set of ethical issues concerns the use of human subjects in research. Payment to participate may be considered coercion if too much is given to subjects. Fair time payment is acceptable, but anything more may be considered coercion (Corbin, 2008). Coercion can also occur if researchers unduly use their authority, for example, when professors use their students as subjects.

In the given case, young people were recruited from local 4-H and Boy Scout organizations. 9th and 10th grade classes at area high schools and referrals from friends and colleagues (none of the potential participants was known to any of the investigators). Therefore, chances of research bias decreases in this case; however, component of biasness increases because participant selection was made on the basis of referrals of friends and colleagues.

Researchers disagree about the use of deception in recruiting subjects. Those who object to deceiving subjects contend that deception erodes personal liberties, betrays trust, gives researchers a bad reputation, and is often unnecessary. Despite these objections, though, numerous investigators view deception as appropriate. They believe deception is acceptable if the subjects' anonymity is maintained (Jackson, 2008). Researchers who approve of deception argue that overt techniques may not provide accurate data, especially when illegal behavior or the wrongdoing of those in power is being studied (Creswell, 2009). In general, most researchers agree that deception is only justified in rare cases, that open methods should be used if at all possible, and if covert methods are used, researchers should make sure their subjects remain anonymous (Hardle, 2007).

Researchers should take every precaution not to harm their subjects. If care is not taken, researchers may harm their subjects physically, psychologically, and/or by invading their privacy. While physical harm is rare in social science research, it still occurs (Creswell, 2009). For example, a study on the effects of competition using twelve year old boys at a summer camp had to be stopped when the boys exploded into a fist fight. Psychological harm can come to subjects if they are deceived about the nature of the ...