Ethical Concerns in Research

Due to significant violations of federal and institutional rules and regulations, ethical issues in human participant research have received increasing attention over the past 50 years. While it might seem obvious that respect, integrity, fidelity, and justice should serve as the ethical foundation for all research activities, this has not always been the case for research involving human participation. In this discussion, you will determine if your proposed study is ethically defensible by answering a series of questions.

Prior to beginning work on this discussion,

Consider reviewing Chapter 4 of the textbook.

In your initial discussion forum post,

Restate your topic or general idea for your proposed research study.
Answer the following questions (keeping your topic from Week 1 in mind):
Might your study present any physical risks or hazards to participants? If so, list them.
Might your study incur any psychological harm to all or some participants (e.g., offensive stimulus materials, threats to self-esteem)? If so, identify the specific forms of harm that might result.
Will participants incur any significant financial costs (e.g., transportation costs, mailing expenses)? If so, how might you minimize or eliminate those costs?
What benefits might your study have for (a) participants, (b) your discipline, and (c) society at large?
Do you need to seek informed consent from participants? Why or why not?
If you need to seek informed consent, how might you explain the nature and goals of your study to potential participants in a way that they can understand? Write a potential explanation.
What specific steps will you take to ensure participants’ privacy? List them.
If applicable, what format might a post-participation debriefing take? What information should you include in your debriefing?