Ethics in Social Research Overview: 1.We will be introducing the concept of ethics in social research. 2.We'll start by highlighting the meaning and importance of ethics. 3.Then, we will cover the various types of ethical guidelines which should be used in practice during social research. 4.We'll covering up with some examples of how ethics have (and sometimes haven't) been sufficiently implemented in social research. what is social research? meaning of ethics in social research various types of ethics in social research importance of ethics in social research examples of ethics in social research.

1. Ethics of Social
Research
By
Sumbal
MPhil Sociology
Email: sumbalfarooq43@gmail.com

2. Overview
We will be introducing
the concept of ethics in
social research.
We'll start by highlighting
the meaning and
importance of ethics.
Then, we will cover the
various types of ethical
guidelines which should
be used in practice during
social research.
We'll covering up with
some examples of how
ethics have (and
sometimes haven't) been
sufficiently implemented
in social research.

3. What is social research?
Research: “The process of collecting information for the purpose of
testing and evaluating something.”
“Social research refers to the study of individuals and societies and is
often used to identify regularly occurring social patterns in social life. It
can be defined as the systematic understanding of social facts or
phenomena.”
Social Something related to society
Research To find out something again and again

4. Meaning of Ethics in Social Research
Meaning of ethics
• “Moral principles that govern a person's behaviour or the conducting
of an activity”
Defining 'ethics'
• “Ethics are a set of principles of conduct that govern the behavior of
individuals and/or groups. Our ethics are usually based on our
morals.”

5. Example
For example, road regulations and speed limits are legal restrictions
which are based on both our own safety and on the sense of morality in
keeping those around us safe. Moreover, in the interest of keeping
ourselves and those around us safe from the risk of COVID-19, some of
us might opt to continue wearing masks where they are no longer a legal
requirement. These rules are reinforced because deviance against moral
norms is typically met with criticism, whether this is in the form of
resentment from the people around us, or through legal punishment such
as a fine. In the context of sociology, ethical guidelines inform
researchers or how to conduct research in a morally acceptable way.

6. Various type of Ethics in Social Research
• In the interest of protecting the rights of the participants, various ethical guidelines
are put into place during social science research. These are provided by various
organizations, such as the Academy of Social Sciences and the American
Psychological Association.
• In this explanation, we will be drawing information from the Statement of Ethical
Practice that has been laid out by the British Sociological Association.
• All ethical guidelines are also carefully enforced where research is to be
conducted on vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, people with disabilities (and
their aides), or children.

7. 1. Voluntary Participants
• “Voluntary participation means that all research subjects are free to
choose to participate without any pressure. All participants are able to
withdraw from, or leave, the study at any point without feeling an
obligation to continue. Your participants don't need to provide a reason
for leaving the study.”
• Example
When recruiting participants for an experiment, you inform all potential
participants that they are free to choose whether they want to
participate, and they can withdraw from the study anytime without any
negative repercussions.

8. 2. Informed consent
• Subject base their voluntary participation in research project with full understanding of risk
involved.
• The evaluator should have some idea of how long a session will take after performing pilot testing.
• The participant can withdraw anytime, for any reason, or for no reason at all.
• The data are taken anonymously (neither the name of the participant nor any other kind of
identification will be associated with data after it has been collected).
• That the participant understands any foreseeable risks or discomforts, which should be minimal to
zero for evaluation.
• They can ask the evaluator questions at any time.
• Whether any kind of recording (e.g., video, audio, photographic, or holodeck) involving the
participant will be made and how you intend to use it, who will view it (and not), and by what date
it will be erased or otherwise destroyed.
• A statement that, if you want to use a video clip (for example) from the recording for any other
purpose, you will get their additional approval in writing.

9. Method of informed consent
• Be sure that your informed consent form contains:
• a statement that the participant can withdraw anytime, for any reason, or for no reason at all
• a statement of any foreseeable risks or discomforts
• a statement of any benefits (e.g., educational benefit or just the satisfaction of helping make a good
design) or compensation to participants (if there is payment, state exactly how much; if not, say so
explicitly)
• a statement of confidentiality of data (that neither the name of the participant nor any other kind of
identification will be associated with data after it has been collected)
• all project/evaluator contact information
• a statement about any kind of recording (e.g., video, audio, photographic, or holodeck) involving
the participant you plan to make and how you intend to use it, who will view it (and not), and by
what date it will be erased or otherwise destroyed
• a statement that, if you want to use a video clip (for example) from the recording for any other
purpose, you will get their additional approval in writing
• clear writing in understandable language
• An example of a simple informed consent form is shown in Figure 1 and 2

10. Figure 1

11. Figure 2

12. 3. Confidentiality
• Confidentiality means that you know who the participants are, but you remove all
identifying information from your report.
• Concealing the identity of participant both in research and discussion e.g. using fake
names of the participants.
• Can identify the participant but promise not to do so.
• Social researcher shouldn't offer unrealistic assurances(promises), and should let the
participant know where it may not be possible to ensure total confidentiality (such as in
focus group discussion).
• All participants have a right to privacy, so you should protect their personal data for as
long as you store or use it. Even when you can’t collect data anonymously, you should
secure confidentiality whenever you can.
Example of confidentiality
To keep your data confidential, you take steps to safeguard it and prevent any threats to data
privacy. You store all signed consent forms in a locked file drawer, and you password-
protect all files with survey data. Only other researchers approved by the IRB are allowed to
access the study data, and you make sure that everyone knows and follows your institution’s
data privacy protocols.

13. 4. Anonymity
• Anonymity means that you don’t know who the participants are and you
can’t link any individual participant to their data.
• You can only guarantee anonymity by not collecting any personally
identifying information for example, names, phone numbers, email
addresses, IP addresses, physical characteristics, photos, and videos.
• Example of data pseudonymization(fake names): You’re conducting a
survey with college students. You ask participants to enter demographic
information including their age, gender, nationality, and ethnicity. With all
this information, it may be possible for other people to identify individual
participants, so you pseudonymize(fake names) the data.
• Each participant is given a random three-digit number. You separate their
personally identifying information from their survey data and include the
participant numbers in both files. The survey data can only be linked to
personally identifying data via the participant numbers.

14. 5. Potential for harm
As a researcher, you have to consider all possible sources of harm to participants. Harm can
come in many different forms.
• Psychological harm: Sensitive questions or tasks may trigger negative emotions such as
shame or anxiety.
• Social harm: Participation can involve social risks, public embarrassment, or stigma.
• Physical harm: Pain or injury can result from the study procedures.
• Legal harm: Reporting sensitive data could lead to legal risks or a breach of privacy.
Example
In a study on stress, you survey college students on their alcohol consumption habits. Some
of these questions may bring up negative emotions, so you inform participants about the
sensitive nature of the survey and assure them that their responses will be confidential. You
also provide participants with information about student counseling services and
information about managing alcohol use after the survey is complete.

15. Importance of Ethics in Social Research
• It may be relatively understandable, but the highest importance of
ethical guidelines in social research is in its protection of the rights and
interests of both researchers and research participants.
• All people involved in the research should be free from the risk of
harm wherever possible.
• Whether this is through the study itself or because sensitive
information may be revealed, such measures must be established!
• Aside from ensuring the safety of researchers and research
participants, compliance with ethical guidelines is also important for
the sake of academic integrity.

16. Academic integrity
• Aside from addressing the relationship between the researcher and the
participant, several ethical guidelines reference the responsibility of the
researcher to ensure their research is conducted to the best of their ability.
• The expectation that teachers, students, researchers and all members of the
academic community act with: honesty, trust, fairness, respect and
responsibility. Breaking academic integrity is also known as 'academic
misconduct' or 'academic dishonesty.
• This is usually done in the 'Discussion' section of a research paper, where
the researcher will evaluate their study in various ways, including: the
sample, research methods, the research process, the type and nature of data
collection, and the methods of data analysis.

17. Examples of Ethics in Social Research
Examples of well-implemented ethics: We will look at two studies that are exemplary in their
protection of the parties involved in the research.
• Karen O'Reilly | The British on The Costa del Sol
O'Reilly (2000) aimed to study the experiences of British people who had moved to Costa del
Sol, Spain. She decided to carry out a pilot study to evaluate the questionnaire before
conducting it on a large scale. Respondents from the pilot study reported that people wouldn't
answer questions about address and income as it would feel far too offensive. A pilot study is a
small-scale trial run of research which helps the researcher check for potential limitations in
their methods before conducting them on a large scale. Based on this feedback, O'Reilly added a
note to the questionnaire, promising all respondents of the actual study full anonymity.
• Sue Heath and Elizabeth Cleaver | Young, free and single? Twenty-something and household
change
Heath and Cleaver (2003) conducted group interviews to learn about the experiences of young adults
living in shared households. The interviewers took care to inform the participants that they couldn't
promise confidentiality in a group interview setting. Furthermore, they got permission from all
participants to record the group interviews on a minidisc.

18. An Example of Poor Ethics;
One of the most famous examples of ethical non-compliance is Phillip Zimbardo Stanford
Prison Experiment of 1971. The Stanford Prison Experiment was not exactly a sociological
study it was an experiment in social psychology. Zimbardo and his colleagues wanted to study
whether the violence in American prisons was because of the personalities of the guards, or
because of the prison's environment. To test this, they create a fake prison in the basement of
Stanford University's psychology building.
The participants were randomly allocated to groups, and they ended up with 10 'prisoners' and
11 'guards’. Every participant became so immersed in their role, that the guards would taunt
and physically abuse the prisoners without any reason. If prisoners rebelled, they were placed
into solitary confinement. The experiment was meant to last for two weeks but ended up
lasting just under six days. This is because the guards became so aggressive, and the prisoners
so mentally and physically distressed, that there was no choice but to end the experiment early.
Zimbardo failed to implement several ethical guidelines: He didn't seek informed consent
because Zimbardo himself did not know how the study would turn out. Although he found
through several follow-up questionnaires that the study didn't have lasting negative impacts on
the participants, Zimbardo did not offer them any protection from physical and psychological
harm.

19. Key Takeaways
• Ethics are a set of principles of conduct that govern the behavior of individuals and/or
groups. Our ethics are usually based on our morals.
• In the context of social research, ethical guidelines inform researchers on how to conduct
research in a morally acceptable way.
• Voluntary participation involves seeking informed consent and offering the right to
withdraw.
• Other important ethical guidelines include offering confidentiality and/or anonymity and
protecting participants from physical and psychological harm.
• By following a code of ethics, social researchers can also maintain academic integrity and
improve the reputation of any social science research as a discipline.

20. References
• Contact Us - HOPE NGO - Health Oriented Preventive Education. (n.d.). HOPE NGO - Health
Oriented Preventive Education. Retrieved November 4, 2022, from https://hope-ngo.com/contact-
us/
• British Sociological Association. (2017). Statement of Ethical Practice. www.britsoc.co.uk
• Heath, S., & Cleaver, E. (2003). Young, free and single? Twenty-somethings and household
change. Springer.
• O'Reilly, K. (2000). British On The Costa Del Sol. Routledge.
• Bhandari, P. (2021, October 18). Ethical Considerations in Research | Types & Examples. Scribbr.
Retrieved November 15, 2022, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/research-ethics/

21. Any Question?

22. Thank you for your attention.