Ethics in Research

Based out of texts by Neuman and Babbie

NOBODY STARTS OUT INTENDING TO VIOLATE ETHICAL CODES

Ethics of Omission – the parts of science done wrongly

Research as Pressure Cooker

1. Research2. Publish3. Prestige4. ????5. Profit!

Scientific Misconduct

• Unintentional (Misfeasance)– Sloppy work– Careless mistakes– Rushed quality control

• Intentional (Malfeasance)– Falsification– Fabrication– Misrepresentation– Plagiarism

• Don’t ruin it for the rest of us!

• Climate research controversy, England

Trust in

you

Power

over them

Big Questions

• Are we ever justified in risking harm or injury to participants?

Basic Principles

• No unnecessary harm• No irreversible harm• Consent:– Prior– Informed– Voluntary

• Never release data• Small compensation if any

Kinds of Harm: Physical

• Medical research

• Even some social research!

Tuskegee Syphilis Experiments

• 1929 (pre-penicillin) – 1972

• Advanced cases left untreated

• Presidential apology 1992

US Govt. Experiments

• Late 1940s – radionuclide injections• 1950s - Fallout effects on Kodak film(!)• 1960s - LSD injections

Kinds of Harm: Psychological

• Stress, self-esteem, ethics, coercion

• E.g.: POGO off-trail make out session

• The most subtle: even survey question range effects!– E.g., Salary questions

Zimbardo (Stanford) Prison Experiment• 1970s, 2 week

setup• De-individualized

prisoners vs. guards

• Basement prison• Breakdown within

36 hours• 6 days,

termination

Milgram Experiments• How did the Nazis get so

evil? 1960s

• Rigged randomization/setup– Conspirator in chair– Subject at dial– Conspirator with subject,

commanding

• Extreme emotional duress

Deception

• Never preferred• Used to ensure validity for sensitive tests• Socially acceptable response bias• Washington State shooting tragedy (1973)

• Covert observation– Public vs. private

Kinds of Harm: Legal

• Illegal behaviors

• Subpoena

• DOJ waivers

Tearoom Trade, 1970

• Laud Humphreys• Public restrooms in parks• Homosexual encounters• Watchqueen• License plates• Police & public records• Health survey

Anonymity vs. Confidentiality

• Privacy: any privileged information

• Anonymity: name stripped from data– A myth these days

• Confidentiality: identifying info stripped, data access is privileged– How you protect personal information

Why Confidentiality Matters

• FBI vs. Kinsey sex study

• You may find yourself in [contempt of] court

Who Has What Personal Information

• Facebook– Name– Family– Location– Education– Political stance

How Ethics Review Protects You

Research team Peers Committee HSC IRB OMB, DHHS, NIH

Human Subjects Committee

• Advancing knowledge vs. noninterference

• Burden hours

• Specific contact protocol

Blowing the Whistle

• Applied research is usually sponsored• Forced findings, limits on methods,

suppressed findings, concealed sponsor

• Communicate clearly and early• Be sure you’re right• Understand the cost• Follow through

Getting Help

• Colleagues• Ethics review boards• Professional organization guidelines• Ombudsman

• Not the press

TOUGH DECISIONS YOU MAY FACEEthics of commission – doing science rightly for society

Limits to Your Time

• You have limited time for research

• Answer some questions

• Others go unanswered

• The question selection is on ethical basis

You Will Be Asked to Take Sides

• Your research will be used, beyond your control

• Refusing to take a position is still taking one– Status quo

• Managers often want a “button to push” from you, the expert

Questions Posed to Researchers

• How much dioxin is acceptable in breast milk?

• How much heavy metal ash can be released by this incinerator without raising the cancer risk by more than 1:10,000?

• How much grizzly habitat can be removed without harming the local grizzly population?

O’Brien (1993) BioScience 43(10)

Answering vs. Changing The Question

• Risk assessment– Serum dioxin concentration risk

• Alternatives assessment– Alternatives to dioxin-producing processes

• Tricky: funded for risk assessment, advocating for alternative assessment, data examine risk

O’Brien (1993) BioScience 43(10)

Objectivity =/= Passivity

• Almost no one on the planet is more of an expert than you on your specific research

• Work with a public interest group• Do relevant projects• Serve on task forces and committees

O’Brien (1993) BioScience 43(10)