Several problems are associated with surveys. These problems include the usage of the survey results by third parties, the addition of more information to fill blanks that survey respondents did not fill and disclosing the identity of the respondents. All these problems have ethical concerns. Another ethical problem that is associated with surveys is tricking people into participating in surveys by supplying limited information concerning the real reason for the survey. In such surveys, it is not surprising to find some questions that target specific elements of the lives of the participants, and these are the questions that end up supplying the information needed by the survey tricksters. All these ethical problems are evident in a survey that was carried out in Principia College where the respondents were international students. The people and institutions conducting surveys must get the regulations right (Alreck & Settle2004, pp.19-21).
In the research article, none of the above issues was addressed. There is a high chance that most people who conduct research and go ahead to make the following ethical mistakes do the same with a level of willingness. This makes it hard for them to realize that it is actually wrong (Kimmel 1996, pp.4-5). This may be the reason these issues were not addressed in the research article. Alternatively, it is possible that some people do not perceive these as ethical problems but as ways of accessing data that are vital in their analysis of a certain group of people. Therefore, they view all that is done in the research as not only legitimate but also ethical. Maybe a set of rules outlining the ethical elements that are supposed to be taken into consideration during surveys can make a difference. In this set of rules, it should be made clear that the people taking part in a survey must be informed on the purpose of the survey and the key question in the survey that will provide the information to fulfill the purpose of the survey. In this way, members of the public who have concerns about sharing their private information can avoid the survey.
These ethical concerns in surveys are not without consequences. This is true for both the institution and the individual conducting the survey. It is also important to point out that these consequences are an issue only when they are not addressed. For the individual, it is possible that if the respondents or participants in the survey get to know that they were tricked into participating in a survey that they would not have participated in had they known the purpose behind it; they will take legal action against him or her. It is also possible that this individual will not have the reputation necessary to conduct any other future surveys from the same population as they will have lost confidence in him or her.
The institution is also likely to face litigation for allowing someone to survey its grounds without following the required procedures. Other likely consequences include the possibility of students having negative opinions about the institution and even running away since they are not accorded maximum respect for privacy. Additional implications for the institution will be the utilization of wrong information in making management decisions if the survey was to be used for this type of function. This is a serious problem that will make the institution make use of resources in the wrong way as they will be using these resources based on wrong survey information. Wrong information stems from the filling in of blanks that respondents have not filled. Is there a way to avoid such problems?
The individual who conducted the survey and institution can always find a better way of doing their surveys the next time they decide to carry out another survey. The best way to go about it to avoid the ethical issues discussed above will include the confidence to inform their respondents that the survey is meant o fulfill a certain function. This way the participants will be in a position t make conscious decisions on whether to participate or not. At the end of the day, the survey conductors will obtain legitimate information for utilization in their analysis and decision-making. Also, it will be better to advise the respondents to take their time to fill all the required fields. This will be a better way of obtaining all the required information instead of taking incomplete survey forms and filling them based on the observed characteristics of the respondents. This is because it is both unethical and baseless given that there are times when what we see is not actually what we think it is.
The last problem that can easily be avoided by doing things right is to ensure that the information that is obtained from the survey is not availed for use by another party that is not authorized to use the results of the survey. This will ensure that both the institution and the individual conducting the research are not subjected to litigation by any of the participants in the survey.
References
Alreck, P & Settle, R., (2004). The Survey Handbook, (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill.
Kimmel, A., (1996). Ethical Issues in Behavioral Research: A Survey. New York: Wiley-Blackwell.