Dr Sue Spiers

Aim

The Thinker by Rodin

Why Research?

Ethics – moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting of an activity (Oxford Dictionaries)

Activity = Research

Potted History of Research Ethics 1948 – Nuremberg Code 1950s – Thalidomide 1932 to 1972 – Tuskegee Syphilis Study 1964 – Declaration of Helsinki

Social or scientific value and validityFair participant selectionProportionate riskInformed consent and respect

And on ……..

1966 – Establishment of first REC 1979 – Belmont Report 1998 – Data Protection Act 2004 – EU Clinical Trials Directive 2004 – Human Tissue Act 2005 – Mental Capacity Act

Medical based history has formed the basis for today’s ethical principles in research

across all disciplines.

NERC Ethics Policy ESRC Framework for Research Ethics British Psychological Society Code of Ethical

Principles and Conduct Social Care Research Ethics Panel Marketing Research Society Code of Conduct

Grounded on the fundamental principles of the Declaration of Helsinki

Research Ethics are….. guiding moral principles fit into an overarching research

framework which encompasses integrity, governance and management

(should) inform research design, conduct, analysis, dissemination and implementation

What does ethics do? Protect the safety, dignity and rights of

participants in research Provides assurance of good quality research

being conducted within an evidence base and for the benefit of society

Protects all stakeholders ParticipantsResearcherSponsor / FunderHost Institution / EmployerProfessional BodiesPublic

The Research Ethics Committee A multi-disciplinary group Provide advice and guidance Ensure that proposed research activity

meets recognised ethical standards

Role of the Ethics Committee: What will they ask?

Why? How? Who? What?

The Research Ethics Committee: What are they concerned about?

Value and validity Information Consent Rights Risk

Ethical Balance / Ethical Dilemmas Research is, by its very nature, pushing

the boundaries into something new; don’t always know what is going to work; challenging existing evidence base; innovative

Balance between needs of researchers and the rights / expectations of participants

Risk, Research and Ethics Risk (noun) a situation involving exposure to

danger (Oxford Dictionaries) Potential physical or psychological harm,

discomfort or stress to human participants (medical)

Risk to a subject’s personal social standing, privacy, personal values and beliefs, their links to family and the wider community, and their position within occupational settings, as well as the adverse effects of revealing information that relates to illegal, sexual or deviant behaviour (social)

Risk and Ethical Review The benefits of undertaking the research

outweigh the risk of participating in the research

Whose benefit / Whose risk?“….may only be conducted if the importance of the

objective outweighs the inherent risks and burdens to the research subjects” (Declaration of Helsinki)

“Proposals should be considered in the context of risk to the researched and researchers.” (ESRC)

Short-term risks balanced against longer-term benefits (economic, political, cultural disadvantage and exploitation)

Proportionate Risk

Risks are recognised, assessed and managed

Risks to researcher and the participant Short-term and long-term risks / benefits

Participants are fully informed of any risks – part of informed consent!

Peligro Indefinido = Undefined danger

Informed Consent

Central to ethical research practice Ensures that those who participate in

research understand exactly what the research involves for them

Ongoing agreement by a person to participate after the risks and benefits have been explained to them

Ensures that people are not deceived or coerced into participating in research

What is an informed participant?

Understands: Why?What?How?

Tensions

Clinical trial – control group / phase 1 Psychological research – deception Observational research – covert

surveillance Inclusivity

Psychological Research In a study examining the relationship between performance and defensiveness participants were given false feedback on a test of intellectual ability and were told that their scores were well above or well below average. After the false feedback participants completed measures of defensiveness so that researchers could determine if failure makes people more defensive.

Psychological Research“Avoid intentional deception of clients unless:(a) deception is necessary in exceptional circumstances to preserve the integrity of research or the efficacy of professional services;(b) any additional safeguards required for thepreservation of client welfare are specificallyconsidered; and(c) the nature of the deception is disclosed toclients at the earliest feasible opportunity.” (section 1.3 BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines)

Observational Research “observational research is only acceptable in

situations where those observed would expect to be observed by strangers” (section 9.1 BPS Code of Conduct, Ethical Principles and Guidelines)

Covert vs. Overt observation

Cultural issuesPrivacyData protection Data useData management

Covert research

“may be undertaken when it may provide unique forms of evidence or

where overt observation might alter the phenomenon being studied.

The broad principle should be that covert research must not be

undertaken lightly or routinely. It is only justified if important issues

are being addressed and if matters of social significance which

cannot be uncovered in other ways are likely to be discovered.

Normally, social scientists should ensure that research participants

are aware of and consent to arrangements made with regard to the

management and security of data, the preservation of anonymity, and

any risk that might arise during or beyond the project itself, and

how these might be minimised or avoided.” (ESRC Research Ethics

Framework)

Practitioner vs Researcher

Coercion Dependent relationships Vulnerability

Data Collection Privacy

Right of an individual to control what other people know about them.

Assurance that sensitive information will not be disclosed without specific approval

Informed consent necessary when using information that an individual normally controls eg information they have volunteered to disclose

Confidentiality and Anonymity Confidentiality

Guarantee that identifying information will not be made available to anyone who is not directly involved in the study

AnonymityParticipant unidentified throughout the study

○ Public○ Other participants○ Researchers

Data Management

Data should be presented in such a way that respondents should be able to recognise themselves while the reader should not be able to identify them

Allows freedom of speech Ethical and legal implications

Data Protection Act 1998

Data Protection Act 19981. Fairly and lawfully processed2. Processed for specific purposes3. Adequate, relevant and not excessive4. Accurate and up-to-date5. Not kept longer than necessary6. Processed in line with participants’ rights7. Kept secure8. Not transferred to countries with in-

adequate protection for data

And finally …….

“Simply ‘knowing about’ the issues of values and ethics is not a sufficient basis on which to conduct research,

they need to form part of the research practice itself”

May, T. (2001) Social Research, 3rd Edition,Buckingham, Open University Press