Research Basics
Ethics
As social scientists, it is our responsibility to protect the well-being of those individuals, groups, and communities from which we collect our data. In addition, we must pursue research in a manner that does not undermine the professional nature of the field or place ourselves and our respective institutions at risk.
Consider the following scenarios:
- In learning about the unique relationships between employer and employees within a domestic, live-in household situation, can a researcher simply pose as a housekeeper without identifying themselves and conduct participant observations and unstructured interviews?
- If we are interested in how individuals that observed first-hand the September 11th plane crashes and subsequent destruction of the Twin Towers reconstruct those events, how can we prepare for emotional stress that the interview questions may produce?
- As part of an ethnographic study of collegiate fraternity and sororities and their pledging, we observe a member of the fraternity/sorority order an underaged pledge to drink shot of liquor after liquor. What should a researcher do when s/he is in the presence of an illegal activity?
These are just some of the questions that we must deal with as researchers as we enter the field and collect our data. Because these issues and others will surely arise as you begin to collect your own research, social scientists adhere to ethical principles to ensure the well-being of your respondent and the integrity of the field.
, "Ethical Issues" Professor Bruno Breitmeyer
