Case Studies For Ethics In Academic Research In The Social Sciences

This book provides a basis for class discussion about the responsible conduct of social science research. These 16 brief research ethics cases describe situations in which ethical dilemmas arise and present the student with the opportunity to think through the different implications for researchers. The cases emphasize different types of ethical dilemmas involving faculty, students, participants, and stakeholders. Students can discuss what happened, why it was or was not unethical, and what should be the consequences for the actors. Included are the original cases complete with learning objectives, teaching notes, and questions for discussion.

This book provides a basis for class discussion about the responsible conduct of social science research. These 16 brief research ethics cases describe situations in which ethical dilemmas arise and present the student with the opportunity to think through the different implications for researchers. The cases emphasize different types of ethical dilemmas involving faculty, students, participants, and stakeholders. Students can discuss what happened, why it was or was not unethical, and what should be the consequences for the actors. Included are the original cases complete with learning objectives, teaching notes, and questions for discussion.

This open access textbook offers a practical guide into research ethics for undergraduate students in the social sciences. A step-by-step approach of the most viable issues, in-depth discussions of case histories and a variety of didactical tools will aid the student to grasp the issues at hand and help him or her develop strategies to deal with them. This book addresses problems and questions that any bachelor student in the social sciences should be aware of, including plagiarism, data fabrication and other types of fraud, data augmentation, various forms of research bias, but also peer pressure, issues with confidentiality and questions regarding conflicts of interest. Cheating, ‘free riding’, and broader issues that relate to the place of the social sciences in society are also included. The book concludes with a step-by-step approach designed to coach a student through a research application process.

"The book provides opportunities for unusually good discussions of ethical problems that can confront researchers in any field." —Religious Studies Review ". . . this book provides a ready-made package for the teaching of ethics in research." —Journal of Third World Studies ". . . Research Ethics is an extremely useful and stimulating book . . . recommended for wide classroom use on both the undergraduate and graduate level as well as for all academic library collections." —Journal of Information Ethics " . . . an excellent introduction into research ethics." —Journal of College Science Teaching "A useful supplement to faculty teaching courses on scientific ethics and a resource for instructors who give lectures on the topic in more general courses." —Robert L. Sprague, Director, Institute for Research on Human Development "This book is important because it defines and clarifies subtle ethical issues present but not necessarily easily recognizable as such in the everyday conduct of research." —Doody's Health Sciences Book Review Journal "A very useful text for courses dealing with ethics in the research setting." —Science, Technology & Society " . . . a welcome collection of materials that can be used in a variety of ways by those who are genuinely concerned that scientific research remain faithful to its ideals." —American Journal of Human Genetics "This clearly written, reader-friendly book addresses the need for systematic education in research ethics and suggests that researchers themselves are the best teachers for their students. . . . The scenarios are realistic . . . , well presented, and organized around a series of topics that are both diverse and relevant to the practicing investigator." —American Journal of Psychiatry " . . . a landmark teaching tool . . . " —Science Books & Films [an "Editor's Choice" book] "I think this book is an excellent introduction into research ethics. The material is presented in an exceptionally thought-provoking manner, and it serves as a reference guide and as a source for seminar topics" —Robert H. Tamarin, Journal of College Science Teaching This comprehensive casebook for teaching research ethics in the sciences and the humanities covers such topics as plagiarism, confidentiality, conflict of interest, fraud and misconduct, the reporting of data, and the participation of human and animal subjects in research. An annotated bibliography will help instructors identify resources to use as supplements to cases, assist readers who are developing courses in research ethics, and aid further research on the subject.

Global Research Ethics is a guide for students and their instructors as well as practitioners and researchers to understand topics linked to research ethics from a more global perspective. Research plays a key role in identifying health disparity trends and evaluating interventions to improve the health and well-being of the populations at the individual, local, national, and global levels. Conducting ethically sound research is imperative in these contexts. This book (a) uses case studies to offer examples of current research ethical dilemmas and (b) considers regulatory and cultural frameworks in a number of country contexts that highlight diverse methods of identifying and managing these ethical dilemmas. Chapters cover different types (groups) of participants, issues in research, and ways of doing research; then each chapter looks at least three exemplar case studies with at least two analytical commentaries. Case studies include health and social care research, and originate from countries such as Brazil, Chile, South Africa, Botswana, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the U.S. and U.K. The different viewpoints showcased will allow for dialogue to ensue about the ways in which populations and topics in research need to be conceptualized. Global Research Ethics is suitable for all undergraduates and postgraduates on research methods courses in the social and health sciences. It provides academic researchers, students, and community partners with guidelines to reflect on as they develop their own research studies.

Introduces students to ethical theory and philosophy. This work provides practical guidance on what ethical theory means for research practice; and, offers case studies to give real examples of ethics in research action.

This book is intended for social sciences researchers, in a variety of disciplines, including sociology, sociolinguistics, psychology, gerontology, and ethnography, who, during all stages of their research, be it quantitative or qualitative, are confronted with ethical dilemmas. As such, the chapters in this book provide the reader with examples of ethical reflection within the research process. The selection does not cover all the possible ethical issues they may face, but all of the chapters deal with the complex and unexpected, but fundamental, ethical questions that arise before, during and after fieldwork, and which do not always find clear guidance from the professional ethical codes they submit to. The studies in this book contribute to the present debate on ethical issues in social sciences research, in addition to problematizing a normative approach to ethics in social sciences research, and highlighting the importance of considering the social character of research activities when applying ethical guidelines or Research Ethic Committees’ prescriptive procedures. These essays document researchers’ practical moral reasoning in carrying out their research activities and in complying with the relevant legislation in relation to protecting research participants. Practices of ethics are identified and made describable; they are made the object of empirical documentation. This book shows that a new empirical approach to ethics as a discipline is emerging, having practices of ethics as its specific object of study.

This book addresses the ethical and methodological issues that researchers face while conducting cross-cultural social research. With globalization and advanced means of communication and transportation, many researchers conduct research in cross-cultural, multicultural, and transnational settings. Through a range of case studies, and drawing on a range of disciplinary expertise, this book addresses the ethics, errors, and ethnocentrism of conducting law and crime related research in settings where power differences, as well as stereotypes, may come into play. Including chapters from scholars across cultures and settings – including Greece, Canada, Vienna, South Africa, India, and the United States – this book provides an invaluable survey of the issues attending cross-cultural social justice research today. Engaging issues confronted by all cross-cultural researchers this book will be invaluable to those working across the social sciences as well as professionals in criminal justice and social work.