QRMSS Ch. 3 Ethical Issues

Chapter three of Qualitative Research Methods for Social Sciences is all about the ethical issues we as researchers encounter when dealing with our human subjects. The main idea here is "Do No Harm"! The guidelines under which we work through ethically, are there to protect ourselves and the interviewee. We are working under the notions of consent, privacy and confidentiality of data. This keeps us from getting ourselves into risky situations and we want to protect the subject from any added physical/mental harm. Also, we risk disrespect in this field if we work unethically.

Throughout the chapter we are given examples of research studies that went wrong in the ethics department, and how through these mistakes, we were able to place restrictions on how we treat our subjects now, so as not to repeat our mistakes in the future. The Tuskegee Syphilis Study is a horrid example of how researchers manipulated their subjects into believing they were getting help, when in reality, they were not treating them and allowing their disease to eventually kill them and/or infect others, all for the sake of research. Or the Zimbardo prison experiment, where voluntary students took their role of prison guards and inmates to the extreme that they believed their roles and justified their behavior. While such dedication is in a way admirable, we have to ask ourselves, are the benefits of the study worth the risks?

Through these atrocities, we have developed protocol to protect all involved in this kind of work. "In 1966, the U.S. Surgeon General issued first rules concerning Public Health Service Research. In 1974, the National Research Act was passed by Congress to protect human subjects. The Privacy Acts of 1974 offered legal assurances against invasive research on human subjects." Berg, B. L. (2001) pp.68-69. Also, International Review Boards must review and approve every research proposition to determine if work will be ethical. Usually an IRB is a very diverse group of individuals composed of professionals differing in age, gender and varying backgrounds.

Overall, we need to maintain respect for our subject through confidentiality and anonymity. If we need to lock up our research information, then we must do it! Also, false information or deviance can put we as researchers in danger! Remember, if subjects of our research are ignored, how can we move forward with positive change?