Ethics in Research Essay ⋆ Sociology Essay Examples ⋆ EssayEmpire

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There has been very little consideration of the context in which discussion of ethics occurs; societal ”frames” and sets of such frames are often unstated assumptions which do not have conceptual or operational definitions outside of very specific times and places. Generally, humanist, neo-Kantian, pragmatist, or other secular ethical systems are most common. The principle of the separation of church and state makes it difficult to adopt religiously based notions of the sacredness of the individual, but Kant’s secular version, emphasizing respect for individual human dignity and autonomy, results in a similar awareness of the importance of not violating human dignity. While the philosophical questions concerning ethics are not frequently asked, there nevertheless are implied ethical standards that can be traced to ancient Greek and Enlightenment ethical viewpoints. A commonsense version of respect for human dignity and civil liberties is usually in the forefront. The general notion of utility is also frequently mentioned, with beneficence outweighing any possible harm.

Recent approaches which stress the way in which different models of science lead to different kinds of considerations concerning ”values and objectivity” (Lacey 2005) are frequently left out of consideration. For example, a phenomenological approach to sociology can involve ”ethnomethodological” research. In attempting to study nuances of expectations in everyday situations it would be deeply disturbing to announce ahead of time what is happening. For example, the study of a ”breach” in normal expectations requires that participants not be informed before the fact.

The primary ethical concern is most often with research participants. Indeed, the move away from using the word ”subjects” is probably indicative of the greater awareness of the importance of ethics, an awareness prompted by certain extreme cases of abuse. Of course, much social science research is relatively harmless, or would appear to be so on the surface. Some is not. Nevertheless, all research has to be vetted by Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) in the USA. In Canada a similar approach is maintained by Research Ethics Boards (REBs), with similar concerns. Confidentiality involves the data only being used for the explicit purposes for which permission had been granted and further consent prior to disclosure to third parties.

A pragmatic balance between methodological and practical concerns continues to be an elusive goal and the enormous variety of types of research undertaken make straightforward generalizations highly problematic and sometimes contested.

Bibliography:

Hoonaard, W. C. van den (2002) Walking the Tightrope: Ethical Issues for Qualitative Researchers. University of Toronto Press, Toronto.
Lacey, H. (2005) Values and Objectivitiy in Science. Rowman & Littlefield, Lanham, MD.
Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP) (2005) Federal Policy for the Protection ofHuman Subjects (”the Common Rule”). US Government, Washington, DC.