Ethical Issues in Social Sciences, Humanities, Law and Theology

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Table of Contents

Introduction
What are Research Ethics?
Research Ethics Principles
The Importance of Research Ethics
Researchers’ Obligations
Conclusion
References

Introduction

In researching, scientists have to consider many important issues for the final product to be whole. The list of these components is pervasive, starting with a theoretical study of the literature and ending with direct field experiments. However, there is little emphasis on aligning research with ethical standards in the wider community. Nevertheless, adherence to ethical principles is one of the fundamental components, without which the scientific community cannot perceive its results. The purpose of this report is to study the topics of research ethics, their principles, and those ethical responsibilities that researchers have both to the participants in the experiment and society as a whole.

What are Research Ethics?

Ethics is a fairly common concept, being a philosophical discipline that studies the foundations of morality. The general orientation of this discipline leads to a massive number of different interpretations based on philosophical or social trends. Depending on what a particular section of ethics is based on, this concept can be theoretical and practical, reflecting the recommended methods. From this point of view, research ethics, no doubt, can also be viewed as a category of more general philosophy.

The profound essence of this concept lies in the description of how researchers should behave. In other words, research ethics is a collection of elements of practical scientific morality (“Guidelines for research ethics,” 2019). The concepts included in the list of recommendations for scientific ethics primarily relate specifically to the scientific process but also affect other activities related to research (“Guidelines for research ethics,” 2019).

One of the crucial distinctive features of research ethics is unifying these principles throughout the scientific space since the entire scientific community is subject to the same principles. Research ethics is based on four groups of norms: compliance with good scientific practice, regulation of the scientific community, relationships with research participants and society as a whole (“Guidelines for research ethics,” 2019). The first two points are related to the regulation of internal relationships, while the last two regulate the external relationships of the researcher.

Research Ethics Principles

Each of the four groups of norms given earlier is fundamental to conducting qualitative research. However, since they are a set of norms, their application in practice is difficult. That is why there are concepts of ethical principles that are practical guidelines for the researcher’s behavior. It should be noted that there is no single standard, and different scientific institutions may provide different interpretations. Despite this, they are all inherently consistent with the fundamental groups of norms.

As one of the largest and best-known scientific organizations, the American Psychological Association provides scientists with its own guidelines covering the foundations of ethical research principles. First of all, attention is paid to the acute problem of intellectual property at the moment (Smith, 2003). Within the framework of this principle, it is understood the need to adequately and sensibly assess their contribution to the project, not to overestimate their role and not to belittle others.

In addition, one must use materials created by other people in full respect of all copyrights. The second principle is to be reminded of the possible presence of multiple roles (Smith, 2003). The APA recommends that scientists be careful about initiating multiple roles relationships – for example, inviting trainee students to be part of an experiment. One needs to be sure that one part of the relationship will not negatively affect the other.

The third principle relates to the establishment of relationships between research participants and the scientist and the formation of mutual understanding. According to the APA, it is necessary to initiate the consent process to ensure that all project participants participate voluntarily and fully understand what is happening (Smith, 2003). They must be disclosed information regarding purposes, methods, rights and obligations. In addition, the researcher must respect the participants’ right to privacy and confidentiality, which is the fourth principle (Smith, 2003). The boundaries of these concepts should be strictly discussed between all parties to the study and be consistent with local legislation. Finally, a final principle is the active use of ethical resources such as APA’s Ethics Code (Smith, 2003). This point is necessary to ensure that the research process is consistent with all modern ethical norms of the scientific community.

The Importance of Research Ethics

While it is common practice to follow these principles and codes of ethics, the question may arise as to why they are needed. After all, there are many types of research, and, for example, studying drug reactions is very different from doing social experimentation. However, the general ethical principles of research apply to the entire scientific community without exception. First of all, the unification of principles makes it possible to generalize the process of constructing research.

The presence of general rules allows the scientific community to exchange information effectively. Research carried out following the norms and principles of research ethics will be understandable to scientists anywhere globally. This point is important because the principles and norms of ethics dictate the fundamental principles of research: knowledge, truth, and avoidance of mistakes (Resnik, 2020). Without them, the scientific community would be flooded with tons of fake works and unproven theses, interfering with effective scientific activity.

Secondly, the presence of common principles helps all scientific community members find a common language. Harmonized norms create a better basis for cooperation and joint activities, emphasizing the importance of such fundamental concepts as trust, respect and honesty (Resnik, 2020). Finally, the establishment of general principles of ethics allows one to simultaneously earn the general public’s support and make researchers accountable (Resnik, 2020). It is much easier to find participants for research and to prove the validity of the conclusions made using the same principles based on quality, honesty, and confidentiality protection. In addition, such an approach allows researchers, in turn, to refer to the concepts of general ethics, defending through the work of human rights, social responsibility, and so on.

Researchers’ Obligations

Despite the seeming individuality and independence of the researcher’s work, any scientist has certain obligations. This commitment stems from the fact that virtually every researcher is part of the vast scientific community. Naturally, an experimenter who sets and records their homework out of curiosity cannot be held liable. However, the scientist who completes and publishes a project and exposes it to their peers must be accountable to the community.

First of all, it is necessary to note the obligation to comply with all the principles and norms, the details and the importance described. The ethical standards adopted in the scientific community guarantee the truth and reliability of published works and form trust in them. Each researcher working on a particular problem is working on it not for themself, but society, both in the scientific sense and in general. In the first case, the work done by the scientist will be based on their followers, people researching this topic, doing their experiments (“Social responsibility and research ethics,” 2014).

Therefore, the material provided by the researcher must comply with all accepted principles in society to guarantee its reliability as a source. For example, the researcher has certain obligations to the participants in the experiments: respecting confidentiality and privacy, providing the participants with all the necessary information, and granting them the right to leave the experiment. In building relationships with research participants, the scientist must also comply with all the described principles of ethics, even though the participants themselves are not directly part of the scientific community.

Moreover, the duties and accountability of the researcher to the community are shaped by the ultimate goal of any research. Although a specific work can be only the initial or intermediate stages in solving a more significant problem, each stage affects the final result’s formation. In shaping their research, the scientist must understand that ultimately the results of their work will impact ordinary people. Consequently, the researcher is responsible for their results since their quality can affect the work of colleagues and society as a whole.

Conclusion

Thus, research ethics is an integral part of any scientific activity, setting up experiments and learning. Like general ethics, this category defines the essential moral norms following which research should be carried out, as well as the essence of internal and external relationships. In practice, there are sets of principles that differ in wording in different institutions but refer to the same standards of integrity, transparency, mutual respect and trust. Adherence to these principles is necessary for forming a stable and reliable scientific community in which researchers from all over the world can exchange information and use each other’s work to move science forward.

Therefore, each researcher is responsible for their actions and research not only to themself but also to the participants in the experiment, their colleagues, and society. The entire scientific community depends on the actions of each of the scientists and their observance of general principles. Hence, the establishment and strict observance of adequate principles of scientific ethics is vital.

References

Guidelines for research ethics in the social sciences, humanities, law and theology. (2019). The Norwegian National Research Ethics Committees. Web.

Resnik, D.B. (2020). What is ethics in research & why is it important? National Institute of Environmental Health Services. Web.

Smith, D. (2003). Five principles for research ethics. Monitor on Psychology, 34(1). Web.

Social responsibility and research ethics: not either/or but both. (2014). American Association for the Advancement of Science. Web.

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