In the contemporary world, the internet has played a crucial role in research. Today, attaining the data that one requires without leaving their desk has been made possible through the internet. Many studies or researches can be done without one leaving their comfort. However, while online research is affordable, fast, and reliable for researchers, there is an associated risk since there are instances of violation of private interest for commercial gains, biased data, and confidentiality and privacy breaches. This post will consider some ethical considerations associated with online research, such as intellectual property issues, participant knowledge and consent, and data integrity.
Data integrity is an essential element of information security that ascertains the accuracy and consistency of stored data. To the information technology group, ethics of data integrity means that the information has the protection that allows only the authorized to access it. Therefore, data integrity is defined as the certainty that online information is uncorrupted and can only be accessible to authorized people (Bigelow, 2022). The integrity of data influences how the data is collected, processed and stored. In case of sabotage, the data may be compromised, rendering it impractical. There are instances that I have dealt with resources that have been tampered with, and the information was not valid to include in the research.
Intellectual property rights are legal protections based on the creations of individual intellect. These digital intellects may include; artistic and literary works, names, inventions, and symbols used in commercials. Digital rights are protected under the patents, trademark, and copyright laws that allow the original creator to benefit financially and be recognized for their work. Researchers must adhere to these rights when gathering online data where the original creator needs to be used as a reference source or notified that their work is being used. The intellectual property law also protects the type of creators and the creation behind it (“Ethical Intellectual Property,” 2022). Forming ethical structures and values into IP addresses, all creators are bound to be involved in the impact of their creation on the world. It will also build accountability and a sense of responsibility in the creators.
Participant knowledge and consent in research ethics are essential during research. Based on ethical rules, a researcher must notify all the involved shareholders and provide all details concerning the study before they consent to participate. The informed consent should come from a person with the legal capacity to exercise free will and the power to choose whether to participate without being coerced into it (Siegle, 2022). Some online surveys do not include the participants’ consent agreement in the research, nullifying the credibility of the data collected. There is also the aspect of issuing researchers with an Institutional Review Board approval so that they may be more complacent in conducting the research.
Although these ethical considerations are substantial in eradicating potential risks with online research, the sources are still getting compromised. The plausible way to ensure the risks in online research are reduced is through peer review databases. This is because these peer review articles are usually incorporated with reliable reference lists that credit the original creators. They also have reliable and accurate information because they are reviewed annually with different scholars sharing different ideas that can be made practical. Moreover, these resources are usually from data collected systematically following ethical standards.
References
Ethical Intellectual Property — Corporate accountability lab. Corporate accountability lab. (2022). Web.
Bigelow, S. (2022). What is data integrity, and why is it important? – TechTarget.com. SearchDataCenter. Web.
Siegle, D. (2022). Research ethics and informed consent | Educational research basics by Del Siegle. Researchbasics.education.uconn.edu. Web.