Research Ethics

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Research Ethics

• Ethical issues and guidelines

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In Selecting a Topic

• Selecting sensitive topics that could impede into
  a persons privacy must be considered carefully
• EX Studying students with ADHD, autism, learning
  disabilities, dyslexia, broken homes, family
  tragedies, criminal backgrounds, etc.

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Three Basic Approaches

• Deontological Posits a universal code.
• EX Using deception is wrong. It involves lying
  and avoiding fully informed consent
• Ethical Skepticism Refutes deontological
• Feels right and wrong are important, but relative
  to culture and time. It is a researchers
  personal struggle and ultimate decision
• Utilitarianism The good of the many outweigh
  the good of the few

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Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment
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Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment

• US Public Health Service conducted a 40-year
  study (1932 1972) on the effects of untreated
  syphilis on black men in Macon County, Alabama.
• 399 men in late stages. Doctors performed tests
  and autopsies, but never administered any
  treatments or cures.
• Participants were never informed. They got free
  rides, hot meals, and a 50 burial stipend

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Other questionable studies

• LSD experiments
• Exposure to radiation on cancer victims, not to
  cure, but to study the effects of radiation
  (Pasternak Cary, 1995)
• http//www.whale.to/a/cantwell9.html
• Radiation exposure to troops
• Treatment of humans with experimental drugs
• War of the Worlds (Wiki ref to Radio Foundation)

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Doing surveys with minors

• Conducting research with K-12 students is easy
  for us as we have such easy access to them in
  groups
• Fraught with may problems, primarily consent and
  rights to privacy

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Doing surveys with minors

• One study questioned students attitudes toward
  HIV. Experimenter got a lot of confessions of
  abuse that had to be reported
• Surveys about sexuality compel students to try
  and peak or observe how peers respond to certain
  questions. Kids who finish early are teased as
  virgins. Kids who admit to bi-curious tendencies
  are ridiculed

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Five Rules to Protect Participants

• You have to have informed consent of participant
  or parent
• Any deception must be justified
• Participants must know they are free to withdraw
  at any time
• Participants are protected from physical and
  mental discomfort, harm, danger
• Participants have anonymity rights

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Upon completion

• A debriefing or dehoaxing is required
• Desensitizing is required.
• Ex Student loses self-esteem because of the
  deception inherent in the test perhaps it was a
  test to determine to what degree a student would
  cheat, lie, say cruel things about a friend

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End