LESSON 69 - RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: SECTION 3.9: ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS WHILE CONDUCTING RESEARCH

Ethical considerations sit at the center of research practice because social-science studies depend on human participants who answer instruments and share personal information. In this section of a research proposal, ethics are defined as norms—written or unwritten—that separate acceptable from unacceptable behavior. Applied to research, ethics become the standards guiding how a study is conducted and how findings are disseminated, including what participants can expect from researchers and what researchers must expect from participants.

Section 3.9 frames ethics as a set of principles researchers should apply to ensure their work remains acceptable. The lesson lists key ethical principles and links each to concrete responsibilities. Beneficence requires that research be carried out only when it offers real benefit—such as contributing to knowledge or improving services and treatment. If a proposed study has no meaningful benefit, it is treated as unethical, which connects back to the proposal’s “significance of the study” requirement.

Autonomy emphasizes participants’ self-rule. Researchers must disclose relevant information before participation so individuals can make a free choice. In practice, this means obtaining informed consent—participants sign voluntarily, without coercion, and researchers should not question their decision to participate or not.

Non-maleficence adds a strict duty to avoid harm. Harm can be physiological, emotional, social, or economic; for example, collecting data might cost someone their job. Researchers must therefore minimize unnecessary risks and ensure participation does not impose avoidable damage.

Justice (fairness) requires equal and appropriate treatment of participants. If resources are allocated—such as money for participation—those allocations must go to the right people and in the correct amounts.

Truthfulness and honesty require researchers to keep promises and avoid deception. That includes not fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting data, and not misleading participants or sponsors about compensation or other study conditions.

Privacy and confidentiality are treated as distinct. Privacy respects limited access to a person’s thoughts and feelings; participants may refuse to answer certain questions. Confidentiality concerns control over information disclosure, while anonymity ensures that identities cannot be linked to responses. The lesson also stresses protection of vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, and people who are sick or dealing with specific diseases—requiring extra care in consent and safeguarding the information they provide.

Beyond participant protection, the lesson flags an often overlooked ethical requirement: researchers should only accept studies when they have the skills and competencies to carry them out. If expertise is lacking, it is better to collaborate with a qualified colleague than to proceed and risk poor or harmful fieldwork.

Finally, carefulness and respect for intellectual property means giving proper credit and avoiding plagiarism. For Section 3.9, researchers do not need to list every ethical principle; instead, they should select three to five principles that match their specific research problem and clearly state how those principles will be upheld to protect participants.