Research Ethics (CRIM 2653 2024-25) PDF

Research Ethics Research & Innovation: https://www.yorku.ca/research/research-ethics/ Any Questions?  Ethical and Political Considerations Research ethics: ethical standards that are accepted by the scientific community and hold researchers responsible for their pro...

Research Ethics Research & Innovation: https://www.yorku.ca/research/research-ethics/ Any Questions?  Ethical and Political Considerations Research ethics: ethical standards that are accepted by the scientific community and hold researchers responsible for their professional conduct. Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS2) governs the standards and procedures of research in Canada. Goals: articulate shared values and ethical norms across disciplines and to harmonize the ethics review process. All research involving human participants must be reviewed and approved by a research ethics review board (REB).  Code of Ethics The TCPS2 contains the following ethical principles: o Respect for human dignity o Respect for free and informed consent o Respect for vulnerable persons o Respect for privacy and confidentiality o Respect for justice and procedural fairness o Balancing harms and benefits of research o Minimizing harm to participants o Maximizing benefit of the research  Eugenics Discredited science aimed at ‘improving’ society by controlling reproduction to increased desirable traits & reduced unwanted traits Canadian/U.S. eugenics programs Idea that poverty, unemployment & social problems blamed on certain ‘backward’ populations Tearoom Trade, an illustrative example Men’s sexual encounters in public bathrooms Gained trust & acted as look-out Use of deception & disguise Significantly advanced knowledge What were the ethical issues? Subjects could have been blackmailed, jailed, lost relationships Humphreys could have faced subpoena or jail Deception necessary?  Minimal Risk All research involves some risk; researchers need to weight the relative risks against the possible benefits of the research. Risk of harm can include: o Physical harm o Psychological abuse o Legal ramifications  Informed Consent and Voluntary Participation Informed consent: agreement to participate after being made aware of research purpose, process, risks & benefits, & intended use of data Consent from individuals No consent needed for observation in public places Consent can be withdrawn at any time  Deception & Consent When is misrepresentation necessary? Data & access to the field Covert observation: people studied are not aware of being studied Generate mistrust & distrust 1954 covert study of a doomsday religious cult  Ethical rules for deception Provide a description of the nature of the deception& whether it is full or partial: _________ Provide a rationale as to why deception (in whole or part) is required: ___________ Explain in detail: o Why the experiment was developed & why deception was necessary. o What the current research says about the topic Requirement for debriefing (informing participants) & then gain informed consent o Post debriefing consent form for studies involving deception York University Office of Research Ethics forms, http://research.info.yorku.ca/ore/human-participants/  Vulnerable Individuals Limited cognitive capacity Subservient power position in research History of oppression or exploitation ‘Parachute’ researchers Research fatigue: Community perceptions it has been extensively researched but with no benefit Confidentiality and Anonymity Crime and justice research often asks people to share sensitive or secret information. Researchers must respect the participant’s right to privacy by guaranteeing confidentiality or and anonymity. Confidentiality: only the researcher knows the study’s subjects Anonymity: not even the researcher has the identities of the study’s subjects  Ethics through research process ✓ Developing research questions Remain open minded ✓ Data Collection Inform participants of your intentions interviews & transcripts) ✓ Consent ✓ Analyzing data ✓ Writing ✓ Dissemination  Conflict of Interest A trust relationship is expected between researchers, participants, sponsors, institutions, professional associations, and society. Researchers must disclose all potential conflict of interest to the REB.  Scientific Misconduct Includes intentional fabricating, falsifying, plagiarizing of research data or other means of violating accepted practices within the scientific community for proposing, conducting, and reporting research.  Types of Research Design Longitudinal research: data are collected more than once over a period of time. o Time series research/trend study o Cohort studies o Panel studies Cross-sectional research: a research design in which data are collected at a single point in time.  Testing your Knowledge Martha is interested in how federally sentenced inmates’ perceptions of correctional staff change over time. She interviews the same group of six men serving life sentences in the years 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2015. Which of the following best describes Martha ’s research? a) Time-series research b) Deductive research c) Panel study d) Cross-sectional research e) Cohort study Which of the following is synonymous with time-series research? a) Trend study b) Panel study c) Historical review d) Trend review e) Cohort study  Summary, cont’d Cross-sectional research collects data at one point in time, whereas longitudinal research collects data at multiple points in time. Risk of harm, informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and anonymity, scientific misconduct, and conflict of interests are important ethical and political considerations.  Rank Order of Ethical Violations Obligations: 1. A scientific obligation 2. A humanistic obligation Ethical Issues in Social Research: 1. Voluntary participation & Informed Consent 2. No harm to participants 3. Anonymity and confidentiality 4. Deceiving subjects 5. Analysis and reporting 6. A professional code of ethics