Ethical Guidelines and Research PDF

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Running Head: ETHICAL GUIDELINES AND RESEARCH

Ethical Guidelines and Research Instructor Class Date Name

Discuss why ethical guidelines are important in research. Additionally, suggest some unique ethical challenges that research may face in the field of criminology or criminal justice.

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Ethics refers to the correct rules of conduct that is required to be adhered to and carried out through research. Given that ethical considerations are vital to any research, professionals have adopted codes and policies in which all researchers much adhere to for the benefit of the participants (Sales & Folkman, 2015). Psychologists need to understand that they are under obligation to respect the rights and dignity of those who they are surveying for their studies. Such ethical guidelines are placed in line with research so that the researcher can abide by the moral principles and rules of conduct. Many individuals are invited to participate in research for purposes of obtaining results on certain topics or issues that the research is trying to establish (Resnik, 2011). Some examples of ethical guidelines that are followed by researchers are informed consent, debriefing, the protection of participants, confidentiality, and the right for the participant to withdraw from the study at any given time they deem fit (Sales & Folkman, 2015). The reason why abiding by ethical principles in research is important is because of how the ethics expand the knowledge of the research to the participant, ethics supports values in which become collaborative and mutually respected, the researcher can be held accountable for any actions that go against the ethical principles, and they ensure that the public can trust the research produced. Such research develops understandings and importance for the topics the researchers are most interested in (Sales & Folkman, 2015). However, ethical guidelines play a vital part throughout the research process and relate to both the researcher and the participant equally. Such ethical guidelines are important due to the emphasizes in the social and clinical value of the study, scientific validity, having a fair subject selection, favorable risk-benefit ratios, independent reviews, informed consents, and the respect for potential and enrolled participants of the study (Resnik, 2011). Informed consent is among the most valuable because although the

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study may not be fully represented to the participant as to not develop any bias or hindering effect of the results, participants should know that they have the option to participate or not. The participants in a study are given this right so that they can develop their own decision to participate further and continue with the study (Sales & Folkman, 2015). Criminological researchers are confronted with complex ethical issues that can range from questions, plagiarism, confidentiality, and deception regarding the studies in which they conduct (Vohryzek-Bolden, 2018). An example of a unique ethical dilemma that can occur in the criminology field is where a researcher is requested to appear as an expert witness, questions that regard the qualifications of the expert in question, interpretation, and monetary compensations. Such ethical dilemmas can occur when there are neglected areas of inquiry presented due to the restrictions on funding and sometimes due to the perceived overtones of racial discrimination and bias (Vohryzek-Bolden, 2018).

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References Resnik, D. B. (2011). What is ethics in research & why is it important. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, 1(10). Sales, B. D., & Folkman, S. E. (2015). Ethics in research with human participants. American Psychological Association. Vohryzek-Bolden, M. (2018). Ethical Dilemmas Confronting Criminological Researchers. Journal of Crime and Justice, 20(2), 121-138....