The norms of ethics play a prominent part in research because they imply that a person should respect other people who take part in a study and acknowledge the contributions of other scholars. This paper will focus on such notions as intellectual property, use of human subjects, and social responsibility.
In particular, it is necessary to explain how researchers should ensure that the rules of ethical behavior are followed. Overall, one can say that these requirements are obligatory almost for every kind of study but they become essential in those cases when the research involves human participants or when it significantly affect the life of a community.
The key concepts that are related to research ethics are honesty and integrity. One of the most important requirements is the disclosure of relevant information about research. In particular, those people, who take in the study, should know about the objective of this research, the use of confidential data, or possible risks, if there are any (Emanuel 59; Creswell 89).
These are the steps that a research or team should take to make sure the principles of openness or integrity are not violated. These ethical rules are important for both individual researchers and organizations. The thing is that an organization or company that sponsored an ethically flawed research can face legal action, social disapproval, and even loss of profits. When discussing the principles of openness and integrity, one should mention such an issue as the conflict of interest.
In many cases, the studied are funded by commercial or for-profit organizations that pursue some economic objectives (Caulfield and Williams-Jones 79). Thus, every researcher should acknowledge his or her affiliation with a commercial organization; otherwise the findings of the research or its methodology can be discredited. This is why the principles of openness and integrity should not be disregarded.
The use of human subjects is the main reason why so much attention is paid to the ethical aspects of research. The main principle that should be followed is the avoidance of harm to the participants. This task is of great relevance to social sciences and medicine. Under such circumstances, the researchers should build every safeguard ensuring that life and health of the subjects are at risk. Avoiding harm also means that the confidential information about subjects should be treated properly.
It should not be disclosed to any third-part or used for any purposes that have not been discussed with the subjects before. For example, phone numbers, medical records, or addresses of subjects cannot be transmitted to any third-parties. In other words, everything that can reveal the identity of subjects should be kept confidential (Creswell 90). One can reduce this risk by limiting the access to these data. This task is significant in those cases, when a great number of people participate in a research project.
Another issue which is also important for researchers is intellectual property. In particular, scholars and scientists should acknowledge the ideas that they borrowed from other people who work in the particular area (Eliott and Stern 101). This issue is relevant not only to people who conduct research but to the organizations that support this study.
One should remember that a significant violation of intellectual property rights can lead to legal problems and tarnish their reputation. In this case, a researcher or team can ensure ethical behavior in several ways. First of all, every person, who has taken part in conception of research project or its design, should be mentioned as an author or a contributor.
Secondly, it is necessary to give credit to those people whose findings or theoretical models were used by researchers. So, rules of academic citation should be followed. These are the main ways of acknowledging the intellectual property of other people as well as their contribution to a certain field of study. It is a sign of professionalism and respect for others.
The concept of social responsibility is also closely related to research. The task of a scientist or scholar is to think about the long-term effects of a study on the community. In particular, their research should strive to benefit a larger community, for example, other scholars, educators, students, or customers.
Secondly, they need to make sure that the research does not pose a threat to the interests of the community. For example, a person who works on the development of new technologies should think about their environmental impact. These are the main aspects of social responsibility in research.
Therefore, it is possible to argue ethical behavior is instrumental for avoiding the harm to the human subjects, preserving the reputation of an organization, or preventing any form of legal conflict. The norms and principles that have been described are applicable to various kinds of studies, especially those ones which involve human subjects. The interests of these people should be the top-most priority for researchers. This is why much attention should be paid to openness, integrity and social responsibility.
Works Cited
Caulfield, Timothy, and B. Williams-Jones. The Commercialization of Genetic Research: Ethical, Legal, and Policy Issues, New York: Springer, 1999. Print.
Creswell, John. Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches, New York: Sage Publications, 2009. Print.
Eliott, Den, and J. Stern. Research Ethics: A Reader, Lebanon: UPNE, 1997. Print.
Emanuel, Ezekiel. The Oxford Textbook of Clinical Research Ethics, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. Print.