Ethics and Empirics: Essence of Ethics in Social Research

Abstract

Over the last one and a half decades, some fundamental changes have occurred in social research, and the renewed emphasis on ensuring ethical standards at every step of the research process constitutes one of such changes. The purpose of the discussion here is to shed light on the fundamental steps and issues concerning research ethics—as commonly encountered, especially by early career researchers and research students—and highlight the fact that ethics constitutes an essential element in maintaining the quality of research. The chapter focuses on the primary stages, methodology, and procedures of ethical protections that the modern social research institution has established to protect study participants’ rights and privacy. Keeping the participant anonymous throughout the research process is one of the fundamental principles of research ethics. Another important ethical consideration concerns the hierarchies between researchers and participants (respondents); one implication is that research participants may not be coerced into participating in research anymore. They have the liberty to withdraw from the study at any time. Depending on the level of (physical, psychological, political, and financial) sensitivity, the matter of ethical approval for a particular research project has to go through various levels of the ethical screening process.