Ethics and politics in social research
Apart from the fact that it is “not a nice thing to do” (p133), what is an important ethical disadvantage of deceiving participants?
It can damage the professional reputation of the researcher and their discipline
It makes it more difficult to gain access to deviant or hidden populations
It means that records of personal data about the participants cannot be made anonymous
None of the above
It can damage the professional reputation of the researcher and their discipline
It is widely regarded as unacceptable to deceive participants about the nature of the research and their involvement in it. This is mainly because it is unfair and unkind to force people to participate in a project without their being aware that they are being studied and giving informed consent. However, it can also be very damaging for the researcher’s professional reputation if they are known to have indulged in such unethical practices, and this in turn can reflect negatively upon their discipline as a whole. It is therefore each researcher’s responsibility to ensure that their research is as ethically sound as possible and to “leave the field clean” for future researchers.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 133
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 133
It can damage the professional reputation of the researcher and their discipline It is widely regarded as unacceptable to deceive participants about the nature of the research and their involvement in it. This is mainly because it is unfair and unkind to force people to participate in a project without their being aware that they are being studied and giving informed consent. However, it can also be very damaging for the researcher’s professional reputation if they are known to have indulged in such unethical practices, and this in turn can reflect negatively upon their discipline as a whole. It is therefore each researcher’s responsibility to ensure that their research is as ethically sound as possible and to “leave the field clean” for future researchers.
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 133
Reference: Bryman: Social Research Methods: 5th Edition Page(s) 133
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Why is it important that personal data about research participants are kept within secure, confidential records?A. So that the participants cannot find out what has been written about them
B. So that individuals, places or organizations cannot be harmed through identification or disclosure of personal information
C. So that government officials, teachers and other people in authority can have easy access to the data
D. To enable the researcher to track down individuals and find out more about their lives
Which of the following is a form of harm that might be suffered by research participants?
A. Physical injury
B. Stress and anxiety
C. Impaired development
D. All of the above
Whose side did Becker suggest the social researcher should take?
A. The underdog
B. The fat cat
C. The cash cow
D. The sitting duck
Why is it “easier said than done” to ensure that the principle of informed consent is adhered to?
A. It is not practicable to present every participant with all the information about the study
B. Sometimes it is desirable to withhold certain pieces of information, such as the length of time an interview will take
C. If the participants knew exactly what the researcher was intending to study, they might change their behaviour
D. All of the above
Which of the following factors does not add a political dimension to the research process?
A. The researcher’s values, beliefs and prior assumptions
B. The response rate of a social survey
C. The vested interests of the funding body
D. A gatekeeper’s concerns about representation
Which of the following ideas is not associated with the stance of situation ethics?
A. Anything goes
B. Principled relativism
C. The end justifies the means
D. No choice
Which method is most commonly associated with a lack of informed consent?
A. In-depth interviewing
B. Qualitative content analysis
C. Covert observation
D. Structured interviewing
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