Ethics are norms or standards of behavior that guide moral choices about our behavior and our relationships with others. Ethics differ from legal constraints, in which generally accepted standards have defined penalties that are universally enforced. The goal of ethics in research is to ensure that no one is harmed or suffers adverse consequences from research activities. As research is designed, several ethical considerations must be balanced: • Protect the rights of the participant or subject. • Ensure the sponsor receives ethically conducted and reported research. • Follow ethical standards when designing research. • Protect the safety of the researcher and team. • Ensure the research team follows the design.
In general, research must be designed so that a participant does not suffer physical harm, discomfort, pain, embarrassment, or loss of privacy. Begin data collection by explaining to participants the benefits expected from the research. Explain that their rights and well-being will be adequately protected and say how that will be done. Be certain that interviewers obtain the informed consent of the participant. The use of deception is questionable; when it is used, debrief any participant who has been deceived.
Many sponsors wish to undertake research without revealing themselves. Sponsors have the right to demand and receive confidentiality between themselves and the researchers. Ethical researchers provide sponsors with the research design needed to solve the managerial question. The ethical researcher shows the data objectively, despite the sponsor's preferred outcomes. The research team's safety is the responsibility of the researcher. Researchers should require ethical compliance from team members in following the research design, just as sponsors expect ethical behavior from researchers.
Many corporations and research firms have adopted a code of ethics. Several professional associations have detailed research provisions. Of interest are the American Association for Public Opinion Research, the Council of American Survey Research Organizations, the American Marketing Association, the American Political Science Association, the American Psychological Association, and the American Sociological Association. Federal, state, and local governments have laws, policies, and procedures in place to regulate research on human beings.
