Chapter Three

Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a

Researcher
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher Introducing Communication Research
Key Concepts
Communication research potentially could
harm participants.
Classic ethical positions provide bases for
decisions about treatment of participants.
Codes of practice provide practical guidelines
about treatment of participants.
Formal review is often required where
research on humans is proposed.

Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher

For Discussion

Would you . . .
Show participants offensive materials?
Deliberately deceive participants?
Accept funding from a source that wants
your research to help sell its products?
Start false rumors?
Record peoples behavior without them
being aware of it?


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Some Classic Ethical Positions
Judeo-Christian -
do unto others.
Kant categorical imperative -
a behavior is valid if you are willing to see it applied
as a universal rule.
Bentham, Mill utilitarianism
greatest good for the greatest number.
Rawls Veil of Ignorance
dispassionate; review all sides of a decision equally.

Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher Introducing Communication Research
The Purpose of Ethics Codes
The primary purpose of ethics
codes in human communication
research is to protect research
participants.

Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Key Points of Ethics Codes
Do no harm.
Informed consent.
Voluntary participation.
Participants can leave at any time.
Debriefing after the study.
Anonymity or confidentiality.
Crediting other researchers.
Full reporting.


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Two Ethics Codes
Nuremberg Code (1948)
participants must consent to research
benefits of research must outweigh risks.
Declaration of Helsinki (1964)
research review by independent committee
informed consent from participants
research done by qualified individuals
research benefits should exceed the risks.



Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher


The Belmont Report (1979)


Respect for Persons
information
comprehension
voluntariness
Beneficence
maximize benefits / minimize harm
Justice
fair procedures and outcomes in selecting
research subjects.


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Peer Review
Basic Assumption:
The people best equipped to evaluate your
work and its impact on human participants
are appropriately qualified people doing
similar work to your own.
Formal Review:
Institutional Review Boards, editorial
process.
Informal Review:
Networking, conferences.


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Institutional Review Board
IRB

A formal review mechanism established to
review research proposals for their impact on
human participants.

Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Relationships of Participants to
Researchers
Subject
Respondent
Informant
Participant
Collaborator
Partner


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Ethics of the Literature Review
how far back in time to review
use of secondary sources (summary articles)
versus primary (original) sources
reporting articles that do not support your
viewpoint
reporting research that is proprietary
(owned).


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Ethical Issues in Reporting
Research
Honesty
Plagiarism
Confidentiality or anonymity
Crediting others
Appropriate language


Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher

Chapter Summary

Research Ethics . . .
Focuses on how research participants should
be treated.
Basic concern is to protect participants from
harm.
Review mechanisms include IRBs and
informal peer review.
Formal ethics codes include Nuremberg,
Helsinki, the Belmont Report and the
Common Rule.

Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Vocabulary Review
confederates
unobtrusive measures
confidentiality
anonymity
debriefing
consent forms
literature review.
proprietary information





plagiarism
Nuremberg Code
Declaration of Helsinki
Belmont Report
informed consent
institutional review board (IRB)
peer review
common Rule
Introducing Communication Research
Chapter 3 Ethics: Your Responsibilities as a Researcher
Web Resources
The National Institutes of Health Bioethics
Resources -
http://bioethics.od.nih.gov/IRB.html
American Psychological Association -
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
American Association for Public Opinion
Research -
http://www.aapor.org/aaporcodeofethics



Introducing Communication Research