Introduction to Research Design and Statistics

Ethical Issues in Research

Some Ethical Issues for Discussion

• The right to informed consent
• The right to remain anonymous
• The right to privacy
• The right to confidentiality
• The right to expect experimenter responsibility

APA Ethical Principles

1. The primary investigator of a study is responsible for the ethical standards adhered to.
2. The investigator should inform subjects of all aspects of the research that might influence willingness to participate, and answer all inquiries of subjects on features that may have adverse effects or consequences.
3. The investigator should be as open and honest with the subjects as possible. If deception is required, the subjects should be debriefed as soon as possible concerning the nature of the study and the reason for deception (except when the nature of the study may be harmful).
4. All subjects should have the option to refuse to participate, with no adverse consequences if refusal is chosen.
5. Subjects must be protected from physical and mental discomfort, harm and danger. If any of these risks is possible, the researcher must inform the subjects of these risks.
6. Most studies require the investigator to secure informed consent from the subjects before they participate in the research. Informed consent is achieved by providing subjects with an explanation of the research, an opportunity to terminate their participation at any time with no penalty, and full disclosure of any risks associated with the study.Consent is usually obtained by asking subjects (or parents of minors) to sign a form that indicates understanding of the research and consent to participate. Subjects should never be coerced into participating. Some research, which clearly has no risks to the participants and is conducted unobtrusively (in which individuals are unaware that they are subjects, as in the use of test data of students over the last ten years in order to chart achievement trends), needs no informed consent. Almost all data-gathering in public schools that requires student participation beyond normal testing requires parental as well as school district and school principal permission.
7. Information obtained about subjects must be held confidential unless otherwise agreed upon, in advance, through informed consent. Often, researchers will indicate that, in order to protect anonymity of the subjects, only group data will be reported.
8. For research conducted through an institution, such as a university, approval for conducting the research should be sought from the institution before collecting any data.
9. The investigator has a responsibility to consider to consider potential misinterpretations and misuses of the research, and should make every effort to communicate results so that misunderstanding is minimized.
10. The investigator should provide subjects with the opportunity to receive results of the study they are participating in.

UCLA Human Subjects Committee

• Some rules and exceptions

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