Introduction
An investigator must adhere to ethical principles while conducting nursing research to protect the dignity, safety, and rights of individuals under study. Since experiments often involve human subjects, good conduct ensures that the work is both beneficial and compliant with relevant regulatory frameworks. Therefore, ethics help assess the risks and benefits of the study on the participants. It also guarantees that every individual’s dignity and privacy are protected and not exploited by researchers. Ethical standards also enhance the capability of potential participants to accept or decline involvement in a clinical investigation. In this case, people are provided with adequate information and allowed to give written or informed consent to participate in a study as human subjects. The code of ethics provides a basis for best practices for any profession.
The Role of Ethics in Conducting Research in the 1950s to the Present Day
Before the 1950s, no federal regulations required IRB approval in most research settings. Consequently, researchers were not held accountable for medical and scientific atrocities (Polit & Beck, 2021). However, various international ethical standards were later adopted to deal with research scandals, such as the Tuskegee syphilis investigation and the Willowbrook study. These include the Helsinki Declaration and Nuremberg Code, which set the stage for all subsequent research policies, such as the National Research Act. This regulation established the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects (NCPHS). The body was mandated to identify the basic ethical principles that should determine the conduct of research involving humans.
Additionally, NCPHS drafted disciplinary procedures to ensure that clinical studies adhered to stipulated ethical standards. The commission also led to the formation of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and authored the Belmont Report, a foundational document outlining ethical principles for the handling of research subjects (Institutional Review Board [IRB], n.d.). Several codes of ethics are used across various professions, such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) Code of Ethics.
Components of the Institutional Review Process in Relation to Capote’s Movie
The IRB safeguards the rights of human subjects participating in research. Some components of the IRB process include analyzing the participant population, recruitment methods, research procedures and methods, potential risks and benefits, and compensation (IRB, n.d). Additionally, the review process involves evaluating issues of confidentiality, informed consent, monitoring requirements, and the researcher’s qualifications. The review aims to protect the study’s integrity and ensure the safety of the subjects.
Regarding Capote’s movie, neither the IRB nor any ethics committee sanctioned or supervised the study. Capote was initially interested in writing an article for the New Yorker magazine to depict the impact of the Clutter family murders on the Holcomb community. It was only after meeting Perry Smith, one of the murder suspects, that Capote decided to write a book (Miller, 2005).
In addition, although the participants were not physically harmed, they were subjected to discomfort and emotional distress. In this case, Capote’s probe into the community members’ feelings about the killings caused psychological pain because they were still shocked by the homicides. The suspects, Smith and Richard Hickock, also experienced emotional stress since Capote manipulated them into disclosing the murder details, which meant reliving the trauma again (Miller, 2005). Throughout the study, Capote aggressively pursued his story and showed little regard for the participants. For example, he wished for the suspects to die so that his book would have an exciting ending.
There were no benefits for the participants; only Capote gained from the study, as it led to the writing of a book that made him famous. Even though he got lawyers to assist Smith and Hickock in appealing their case, they were eventually executed (Miller, 2005). Similarly, the benefits to society could not overshadow the costs to the research subjects.
Equally important, Capote used his immense fame to recruit the research participants. For instance, he used his popularity to access the murder details from Smith, Hickock, and detective Alvin Dewey (Miller, 2005). Although the subjects had the right to decline participation in the interviews, the accused felt obliged to continue cooperating with Capote to prevent the risk of losing their lawyers (Miller, 2005). The suspects’ belief that the writer was trying to free them from the death sentence also encouraged their participation.
Capote used a lot of deception when interviewing the participants. He manipulated Smith into thinking he cared for him, but his only concern was getting a story for his book. In addition, although some interviewees were aware that they formed a part of the study, they were uninformed about the nature and purpose of the research. For example, Smith and Hickock were unaware that the book portrayed them as cold-blooded killers (Miller, 2005).
Similarly, the study did not maintain the participants’ privacy and confidentiality or use the informed consent procedures. Capote only used unethical channels to get cooperation from the subjects; hence, there are no justifiable reasons for the lack of consent. Moreover, the prominent participants in the study were Smith and Hickock, who were prisoners (Miller, 2005). Nevertheless, no special precautions were incorporated due to their vulnerability; Capote exploited these weaknesses to acquire the information he needed for his novel.
Capote’s Display of Benedictine Values
Capote’s conduct in Holcomb significantly failed to demonstrate the Benedictine principles. His failure to display community values is revealed when he tells Detective Dewey that he is not interested in whether or not they will arrest the suspects(Miller, 2005). Similarly, his actions were not aimed at the good of Holcomb residents because he used the murder of the Clutter family as an opportunity to increase his popularity.
Although the community received him warmly, Capote did not show any hospitality because he only exploited them to get information for his story (Benedictine College Values, 2021). Additionally, the writer did not have any respect for other people since he wished for the prisoners to die. Moreover, his deceit, manipulation, and self-centeredness characterized him as a person who did not regard prayers or God. Furthermore, Capote did not display the values of service and moderation since he was only concerned about personal gain and used aggressive means to obtain what he needed, hurting some of his participants.
An Analysis of Capote’s Informational Approach
The code of ethics provides a basis for meeting compliance requirements for any profession. For example, the ANA code of ethics prevents incompetent and inappropriate behavior in nursing. Provisions 1.4 and 3.1 of the document call for the right to self-determination and privacy protection (American Nurses Association [ANA], n.d). This implies that nurses need to promote patients’ right to autonomy and maintain confidentiality.
Nevertheless, Capote’s controversial technique of collecting data shows that he deceives his principal sources to gain their trust and get the confessions of their crime for the book. Deliberately withholding information about the research denies Smith and Hickock the opportunity to make voluntary decisions about their interview participation. These principles relate to the Belmont Report, outlining three broad doctrines on which standards of ethical behavior when conducting research are based. These include justice, respect for human dignity, and beneficence (Polit & Beck, 2021). They cover the fair treatment and right to privacy principles, which require researchers to honor all agreements and keep their information in the strictest confidence.
Avoiding conflict of interest and honoring professional boundaries are critical components of ethics in nursing research. Provision 2.2 of ANA urges nurses to withdraw from participating in activities where their goals are incompatible with those of their clients. Capote must choose between his allegiance to his subjects and his book project. However, he is only interested in accessing critical documents and getting confessions to complete his book. Rather than seeking the truth, he saw the murders in Holcomb as an opportunity to make a reputation for himself. He tells Dewey that he has little interest in whether the crime is solved.
Provision 2.4 of nursing ethics dictates that nurses maintain appropriate limits within client relationships. In this context, researcher-subject interactions should be based on alleviating suffering and restoring health (ANA, n.d). When Capote receives the account of the murders, he stops nurturing the friendship with the suspects so that they would be executed quickly and supply an ending for his novel. Thus, his tactics do not respond to the principle of beneficence and the right to self-determination (Polit & Beck, 2021). These doctrines require researchers to maximize benefits, minimize self-harm, and allow participants to withdraw from an examination.
Conclusion
The code of ethics ensures that clinical trials are conducted safely and legally while safeguarding the subjects’ rights during an investigation. Despite the significance of the ANA code of ethics and other canons, certain fundamental rights of research participants are often violated. Deception and inadequate information about the study infringe such principles. This is demonstrated through Capote’s unethical behavior towards his subjects. Therefore, professionals must adhere to the provided ethical standards to promote best practices and enhance the image of their occupation.
References
American Nurses Association. (n.d). Code of ethics for nurses with interpretive statements.
Benedictine College Values. (2021). Benedictine values.
Institutional Review Board. (n.d). An introductory guide.
Miller, B. (2005). Capote [Film]. United Artists Corporation.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2021). Nursing research: Generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.