Chapter Five

Research Ethics

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Ethical Issues in Research
➢Ethics are broadly the set of rules, written and unwritten, that govern
our expectations of our own and others’ behaviour.

• Ethics is the study of what is right or wrong in human conduct.

What are Research Ethics?

• Research ethics are the set of ethics that govern how scientific and other research is
performed at research institutions such as universities, and how it is disseminated.
Why do research ethics matter?

• Research ethics matter for scientific integrity, human rights

and dignity, and collaboration between science and society.

• These principles make sure that participation in studies is

voluntary, informed, and safe for research subjects.
 Research ethics are important for a number of reasons.

➢ Research ethics are important for a number of reasons.

• They support the values required for collaborative work, such as mutual respect
and fairness. This is essential because scientific research depends on
collaboration between researchers and groups
• They mean that researchers can be held accountable for their actions. Many
researchers are supported by public money, and regulations on conflicts of
interest, misconduct, and research involving humans or animals are necessary to
ensure that money is spent appropriately
• They ensure that the public can trust research. For people to support and fund
research, they have to be confident in it.
• They support important social and moral values, such as the principle of doing no
harm to others
• Source: Resnick, D. B. (2015) What is Ethics in Research and Why is it Important?
Ethical considerations
➢Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide
your research designs and practices. Scientists and researchers must
always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from
people.

➢These considerations work to

• Protect the rights of research participants

• Enhance research validity

• Maintain scientific integrity

Types of ethical issues
• There are several ethical issues you should always pay attention to in your
research design, and these issues can overlap with each other.
• You’ll usually outline ways you’ll deal with each issue in your research
proposal if you plan to collect data from participants.
• Some of ethical issues are :
➢Voluntary participation
➢Informed consent
➢Anonymity
➢Confidentiality
➢Potential for harm
➢Results communication
 Types of ethical issues...
• Voluntary participation means that all research subjects are free to choose to
participate without any pressure or coercion.
• All participants are able to withdraw from, or leave, the study at any point without
feeling an obligation to continue. Your participants don’t need to provide a reason for
leaving the study.
• It’s important to make it clear to participants that there are no negative consequences or
repercussions to their refusal to participate. After all, they’re taking the time to help you
in the research process, so you should respect their decisions without trying to change
their minds.
• Voluntary participation is an ethical principle protected by international law and many
scientific codes of conduct.
• Take special care to ensure there’s no pressure on participants when you’re working with
vulnerable groups of people who may find it hard to stop the study even when they
want to
Types of ethical issues...
▪ Informed consent refers to a situation in which all potential participants receive and
understand all the information they need to decide whether they want to
participate.
▪ This includes information about the study’s benefits, funding, and institutional
approval.
Types of ethical issues...
➢Anonymity
• means that you don’t know who the participants are and you can’t link any
individual participant to their data.
• You can only guarantee anonymity by not collecting any personally identifying
information. for example, names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses,
physical characteristics, photos, and videos.
➢Confidentiality
• You know who the participants are but you keep that information hidden from
everyone else. You anonymize personally identifiable data so that it can’t be
linked to other data by anyone else.
 Types of ethical issues...
➢Potential for harm : Physical, social, psychological and all other types of harm are kept to an
absolute minimum.

• As a researcher, you have to consider all possible sources of harm to participants. Harm can
come in many different forms.

• Psychological harm: Sensitive questions or tasks may trigger negative emotions such as
shame or anxiety.

• Social harm: Participation can involve social risks, public embarrassment, or stigma.

• Physical harm: Pain or injury can result from the study procedures.

• Legal harm: Reporting sensitive data could lead to legal risks or a breach of privacy.
Types of ethical issues...
Types of ethical issues...

➢Results communication

• The way you communicate your research results can sometimes

involve ethical issues. Good science communication is honest,
reliable, and credible. It’s best to make your results as transparent as
possible.
 Research misconduct
• Making up or falsifying data, fabrication data analyses, or plagiarism in proposing,
performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results.

• It’s a form of academic fraud.

• These actions are committed intentionally and can have serious consequences;
research misconduct is not a simple mistake or a point of disagreement about data
analyses.

• is a serious ethical issue because it can undermine scientific integrity and institutional
credibility. It leads to a waste of funding and resources that could have been used for
alternative research.
Research misconduct…
➢ Plagiarism is the representation of another author's language,
thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.

➢ It is the most common form of research misconduct. Researchers

must be aware to cite all sources and take careful notes.

➢ Using or representing the work of others as your own work

constitutes plagiarism, even if committed unintentionally
Research misconduct…
➢ Fabrication is “making up data or results.”

➢ is the construction and/or addition of data, observations, or

characterizations that never occurred in the gathering of data or
running of experiments. Fabrication can occur when “filling out”
the rest of experiment runs, for example.

➢ Falsification is “manipulating research materials, equipment, or

processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the
research is not accurately represented in the research record.”
Research misconduct…
➢ Fabrication is “making up data or results.”

➢ is the construction and/or addition of data, observations, or

characterizations that never occurred in the gathering of data or
running of experiments. Fabrication can occur when “filling out”
the rest of experiment runs, for example.

➢ Falsification is “manipulating research materials, equipment, or

processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the
research is not accurately represented in the research record.”
 Academic integrity Related Issues
• Academic integrity means acting with the values of honesty,
trust, fairness, respect and responsibility in learning, teaching
and research.
• Academic Integrity for students
• Come to class on time and do not leave early
• Read and do all assignments
• Pay attention in class, don’t be disruptive
• Be respectful of others in class
• Do your own work

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Academic integrity Related Issues..
• Academic Integrity for Instructors
✓Plan the class so it will be worthwhile to students
✓Do your best to answer questions with current information
✓Honestly answer when you don’t know and get the answer by the next
class
✓Do not allow students to ridicule others or their ideas
✓Do your best during class time to prepare students for exams and
assignments
✓Carefully monitor exams so the honest students will not be disadvantaged
by other students who might choose to cheat
✓Confront students if you suspect they have plagiarized or in other ways
that might be dishonest
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Academic integrity Related Issues…
• Defining Academic dishonesty
an act of deception in which a Student seeks to claim credit for the
work or effort of another person, or uses unauthorized materials or
fabricated information in any academic work or research, either
through the Student’s own efforts or the efforts of another.

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Academic Dishonesty Includes
✓Plagiarism
✓Cheating
✓Assisting
✓Fabrication
✓Tampering

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 PLAGIARISM
• Representing the words or ideas of another person or presenting
someone else's words, ideas, artistry or data as one's own, or using
one’s own previously submitted work. Plagiarism includes but is
not limited to copying another person's work (including unpublished
material) without appropriate referencing, presenting someone
else's opinions and theories as one's own, or working jointly on a
project and then submitting it as one's own.
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 CHEATING
• Use or attempted use of unauthorized materials, information or
study aids, or an act of deceit by which a Student attempts to
misrepresent mastery of academic effort or information. This
includes but is not limited to unauthorized copying or collaboration
on a test or assignment, using prohibited materials and texts, any
misuse of an electronic device, or using any deceptive means to
gain academic credit.

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 ASSISTING
• Helping another commit an act of academic dishonesty. This
includes but is not limited to paying or bribing someone to acquire
a test or assignment, changing someone's grades or academic
records, taking a test/doing an assignment for someone else by
any means, including misuse of an electronic device. It is a
violation of Oregon state law to create and offer to sell part or all of
an educational assignment to another person (ORS 165.114).

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 FABRICATION

• Falsification or invention of any information including but not

limited to falsifying research, inventing or exaggerating data, or
listing incorrect or fictitious references.

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 TAMPERING
• Altering or interfering with evaluation instruments or documents.

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 Why does Academic Dishonesty Happen?
• Time Management
• Deadlines come around more quickly than expected
• Procrastination
• Stressed and Overwhelmed
• “Big Test Pressure”
• Motivation and Interest
• Confusion
• Competition
• Lazy and/or It’s okay to cheat mentality

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Other Ethical Issues in Computing
• Because of its constantly changing nature, the area of computer technology is
one that is difficult to assign a specific set of moral codes, although it is necessary
that ethics be considered when making decisions in this area. Computing creates
a whole new set of ethical problems, unique unto itself.

• Such problems include:

• "…the unauthorized use of hardware, the theft of software, disputed rights to

products, the use of computers to commit fraud, the phenomenon of hacking and
data theft, sabotage in the form of viruses, responsibility for the reliability of
output, making false claims for computers, and the degradation of work.”
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Frequently asked questions about research ethics
• What are ethical considerations in research?

• Why do research ethics matter?

• What’s the difference between anonymity and confidentiality?

• What is research misconduct?

• What are types of ethical issues

• What Is Plagiarism, Falsification, Fabrication & how to avoid It?

• Why does Academic Dishonesty Happen?

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