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examBoard: Cambridge
examType: IGCSE
lessonTitle: Ethical issues affecting research - informed consent and privacy/confidentiality
When sociologists study people and society, they need to make sure they don't harm the people they're studying. This is where research ethics comes in. Ethics are the moral principles that guide how researchers should behave when conducting studies involving people.
Key Definitions:
Ethical guidelines protect both the participants and the researchers. They help maintain trust in sociological research and ensure that findings are collected in ways that respect human dignity. Without ethics, research could harm people, invade their privacy, or mislead them about how their information will be used.
The British Sociological Association (BSA) provides ethical guidelines for researchers. These include getting informed consent, protecting privacy, maintaining confidentiality, avoiding harm to participants and being honest about the research purpose. These aren't just rules they're about respecting people's rights.
Informed consent means that participants agree to take part in research after being fully informed about what it involves. This is a cornerstone of ethical research.
For consent to be truly informed, participants need to know:
Often involves signing a form that explains the research. This provides clear evidence of consent but may be too formal for some research settings.
Sometimes more appropriate in informal settings or with participants who may not be comfortable with written forms. Should still be documented by the researcher.
Children, vulnerable adults, or people with limited understanding may need consent from guardians or special approaches to ensure they understand what they're agreeing to.
In the 1960s, Stanley Milgram conducted his famous obedience experiments where participants thought they were giving electric shocks to others. Participants weren't fully informed about the true nature of the study (the "shocks" weren't real). This research raised serious ethical concerns about deception and informed consent. Today, such research would require much clearer consent procedures and debriefing.
Sometimes getting informed consent isn't straightforward. Researchers face several challenges:
Sometimes sociologists observe people without telling them they're being studied. This might happen in public places or when joining a group undercover. This raises ethical questions because people haven't consented to being studied. Researchers must have strong justification for not getting consent, such as when the research topic is very sensitive or when people would change their behaviour if they knew they were being observed.
Some studies involve misleading participants about the true purpose of the research. This might be necessary to get natural responses, but it raises serious ethical concerns. If deception is used, researchers should "debrief" participants afterwards, explaining the true purpose and giving them the chance to withdraw their data.
Privacy and confidentiality are crucial aspects of ethical research. Though related, they refer to different things:
Privacy refers to a person's right to control information about themselves and to have their personal space respected. In research terms, this means:
Confidentiality means keeping participants' identities and information secret when reporting research findings. This protects participants from potential harm or embarrassment that could come from being identified in a study.
Removing names and identifying details from data and using pseudonyms (fake names) in research reports.
Storing research data securely, using password protection, encryption and limiting who has access to the information.
Writing up findings in ways that make it impossible to identify individual participants, even when using direct quotes.
In the 1960s, sociologist Laud Humphreys studied anonymous sexual encounters between men in public toilets. He recorded car number plates and later visited participants' homes disguised as a health researcher. This study is now considered highly unethical because it severely violated privacy and confidentiality. Participants didn't consent to being studied and Humphreys' methods risked exposing their private behaviour at a time when homosexuality was illegal.
While researchers promise confidentiality, there are some situations where this might have limits:
Researchers should be clear about these limits when getting consent.
When planning research, sociologists need to think carefully about ethical issues. Here's a practical approach:
Design clear information sheets and consent forms. Plan how data will be stored securely. Consider potential risks to participants. Get approval from an ethics committee if required (most universities and research institutions have these).
Regularly check that participants are comfortable. Be prepared to pause or stop if someone becomes distressed. Keep all data secure and separate identifying information from research data. Be transparent about the research process.
Sometimes there's tension between getting good research data and following ethical guidelines strictly. Researchers need to find a balance that:
Many sociologists now study social media posts and online behaviour. This raises new ethical questions. Is a public Twitter post fair game for research without consent? What about closed Facebook groups? Should researchers identify themselves when observing online communities? The British Sociological Association now provides specific guidelines for digital research, suggesting that even "public" online content should be treated with respect for the creators' privacy.
When you think about ethical issues in research, remember that behind every statistic and interview quote is a real person. Good sociological research balances scientific rigour with respect for human dignity.
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