Ethics Some Approaches

 Students will not undertake any research project on children (under 16)  Students will not normally research on individuals who are ill currently under medical supervision  Any student who is determined to do this must firstly seek specific permission/approval from both their supervisor and module coordinator Normally

 Research involving deception (including covert studies)  Research that would put you at risk or in-fact the person/group/people you are researching  This rule is perhaps particularly relevant for ethnographic approaches to research for example an/or participant observation Also Avoid

 In any research project it is the student’s responsibility to make sure they have read these guidelines and you are required to sign an ethical statement confirming this.  It is worth tracking down some examples of good ethical research and building your plan around it. Responsibility

 Non-maleficence – do no harm  Beneficence - do positive good  Autonomy – show respect for rights of self- determination  Justice – treat people fairly 4 Ethical Principles

 Questionnaires or lines of questioning may cause discomfort around sensitive subjects  The benefits of research must always be weighed against any harm that might be done to the subjects  Medical Research Council: “the potential and known risks of the research to the participants must be taken into account by participant and investigator as well as the potential benefits of the research” (MRC 1992) Non-maleficence

 Is there a tendency to over-rate the benefits and under-rate the risks?  Ethics committee approval is therefore NB where research involves invasive procedures  Researchers should also be made aware of the risks of psychological harm in research Over rating

 Medical Research Council: “research must be of potential scientific or practical value. That it must address an important question and be feasible and well designed (MRC 1992)  It is worth thinking about the term Positive Good not just in academic research but also in journalistic research (there are of course similarities) Do Positive Good

 This is central to good research and to good ethics.  The principle of autonomy (or freedom/self control) is a central tenet both of journalism ethics and academic research  It means we have to respect the subject’s right to self-determination. Autonomy

 Treating people fairly means treating everyone equally  As researchers it is important we offer all parties (regardless of status) the right to know and understand the nature of the research and why it is being carried out for example. Treat People Fairly

 The phrase ‘informed consent’ comes from a legal doctrine in the United States that consent to treatment will only be valid if patients have received the information that they need to make an autonomous decision Informed Consent

 These are terms in journalism ethics that should also be applied to our academic research  We have to be as transparent as possible throughout all our research. In journalistic terms that usually means asking if something is in the public interest  A good understanding/empathy with the term decency is also a good starting point before completing a research project /journalistic investigation Deception/decency