Paper Example on Ethical Issues Associated with Research

Introduction

Ethical issues are hugely significant when it comes to research. Ethics refer to the standards and norms of conduct which differentiate between what is right and what is wrong. They enable the researcher to determine the unacceptable and acceptable behaviors associated with research (Camille Yip). With regards to sociological research, ethical issues are not as serious as compared to medical research. However, sociologists are still expected to act ethically while conducting research (Devlin). With regards to Dr. Dolittle's project, he did not apply ethical guidelines in his study. This paper will look into the ethical issues and considerations associated with Dr. Doliitle's research project protocol and whether the college's Institutional Review Board would approve the research.

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The first major ethical issue associated with sociological research is privacy or confidentiality. The researcher is expected at all times when researching to protect the confidentiality and privacy of their research subjects (Barken). The research should have a sense of anonymity through the use of aliases or fake names with the intent of protecting the subjects involved. With regards to Dr. Dolittle's research project, he publicly interviewed each student during the classes and even videotaped the students. This breached the research ethics as the researcher is expected to maintain the privacy of his or her subjects.

The other major issue concerns consent. Before the researcher collects data, he or she should ensure the subjects associated with the research should sign informed consent forms. This form outlines the objectives of the study and the risks that accompany the study (Barken). For consent to have a real significance, it should not be associated with any penalties when the subjects refuse to partake in the research. Or else, the subjects may feel coerced into participating in the project without their consent. With regards to Dr. Doliitle's research, he failed to consider this ethical issue of consent. This failure is evidenced by the requirement that Dr. Dolittle set which expects the students to either participate in the research or fail the course. This requirement forces the students to involve themselves in the study without wanting to.

Conclusion

The college Institutional Review Board will not approve Dr. Dolittle's research project protocol as it breaches the ethical research codes associated with confidentiality and consent. The students who were participating in the research did not give their consent and are also subjected to the lack of privacy.

Works Cited

Barken, Steven E. Sociology: Understanding and Changing the Social World, Comprehensive Edition, v. 1.0. Recuperado de: http://catalog. flatworldknowl edg e. com/book hub/reader/1806, 2014.

Camille Yip, Nian-Lin Reena Han, Ban Leong Sng. "Legal and ethical issues in research ." Indian Journal of Anaesthia (2016): 684-688.

Devlin, Ann Sloan. Research methods: Planning, conducting and presenting research. Thomson/Wadsworth, 2006.