When conducting social research it is important for sociologists to consider the range of ethical factors that they might face, as failure to do so may affect the participants or even the overall outcome of the sociological data. From the informed consent of participants to covert research, it is essential to examine the most important ethical issues as they play an important part in the construction of research data. An ethical problem that could be encountered by sociologists when conducting research is the issue of informed consent. Informed consent is given when the participants of the study agree to the terms and conditions of the true aim of the study. However, some results may be invalidated by the participants knowing either the true aim of the study or the fact that they are being studied at all.
From the way that I have interrupted that if the participates are forced into going through with the research it could have a very negative effect on the outcome and will cause data to be wrongfully interrupted. The informed consent is necessary for ethical research because it outlines what the researchers are doing and what is expected of the participates. It states what risks that are involved and they are able to back out at any time they wish if they are in fear or just do not want to help out anymore. After they are done with the study the participates need to be debriefed where if they are taking a medication that is being researched they are informed if they received the actual drug or a placebo, also at this time they are given an explanation of the study and the procedures that were involved. I will share with the class that I had my son involved in a drug study for ADHD about 9 years ago; it was for the patch that is offered now.
The study showed that parental mediation is important for children to learn pro-social behaviour because they help the children to understand the moral message behind the pro-social programmes which allow and made the children more pro-social in their actions and behaviours. On the other hand, there are
If the study is qualitative, personal bias can skew the data. Lab study subjects should be debriefed for the reason for the study after participation has ended. The researcher should take responsibility for the safety of the subjects. They should not be subjected to physical or mental abuse. The data reported must not be misrepresented or distorted.
Although it is the parents or guardians decision to give consent it must be signed before any child can participate in any studies or research. Informed consent is when all risks and benefits have been fully explained and any questions should be answered before any consent is established. Personal information should not be disclosed to the public and all privacy and confidentiality issue should be addressed. Ethical issues also arise with the use of children and if they should be subject to something that might be harmful or painful. So anyone considering making a child be a part of a research study must consider if the benefits will out way the
Conclusion Whether research is performed in schools or businesses, researchers must abide by the ethical structures that are set in place for them. Work that is skewed, inserted, or withheld will ultimately affect the researcher, the organization it represents, and society around them, in a negative way. Ensuring that original work is represented in reports will curb any negative impact that may erupt from any research misconduct. References UC Davis.edu. (2013).
Of course there are many other risks to discuss and could happen when psychological research takes place. Some of these risks in some cases need to be very much evaluated, so that the individuals participating can be informed of potential risks. What can be a threat to one individual may not necessarily be a threat to the next one. Some of the many injuries can be social and physical and in some cases mental(Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, &Zechmeister, 2005). ”With the risk being small some researchers should try to minimize the threat and save the individual” (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, &Zechmeister, 2005).What needs to take place is that the researchers must utilize the procedures in place for the individuals that are involved with the research “(Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, &Zechmeister, 2005).
Ethical considerations play an especially important role in the research process for school counselors due to reputation, liability, and validity. As counselors, it is our responsibility to build trust and a positive rapport with our clients and to keep them safe. In order to do this, we have to abide by ethical guidelines. If we are going to engage in research, we should obtain permission (when applicable), maintain confidentiality, disclose all aspects of the research in understandable language, avoid doing anything that would cause physical or emotional harm, be mindful and aware of any personal biases, inform participants of anonymity, choose relevant subjects who will benefit the research, have research reviewed by an ethics committee, and report accurate findings. Failing to do these things could result in loss of professional reputation, a liability suit brought on by clients and/or participants in the study, and the study being
This is because they may not want to be recorded and if they find out, you may not be able to use the information gathered. Feedback Feedback is when you give back information of what you have found from your research to those who were involved. This is because they may want to know how their input helped in the outcome of the overall research and find out if the research was a success. Vulnerable People Vulnerable people are those that need to have their feelings handled with special care. You need to address them in a way that will not upset them or make them feel unhappy.
If you suspect unsafe practice you should follow company policy and once you have ensured the individuals safety you can then report to your line manager. You should preserve any evidence and if recording then record as is told to you, there may be the need to use a body map which should be labelled correctly. If you have the need to report such an issue and there is no response you would need to take it to the next level. Your company should have a clear safeguarding procedure. If you still feel there is an issue being ignored then you can seek advice from an outside source.