Chapter 4: Ethics in Research

Question 1

Research ethics

Answer 1

The responsibility of researchers to be honest and respectful to all individuals who may be affected by their research studies or their reports of the studies’ results.

Question 2

Deception

Answer 2

The purposeful withholding of information or misleading of participants about a study. There are two forms of deception: passive and active.

Question 2

Informed consent

Answer 2

The ethical principle requiring the investigator to provide all available information about a study so a participant can make a rational, informed decision regarding whether to participate in the study.

Question 3

Passive deception (omission)

Answer 3

The intentional withholding or omitting of information whereby participants are not told some information about the study. Also known as omission.

Question 4

Active deception (commission)

Answer 4

The intentional presentation of misinformation about a study to its participants. The most common form of active deception is misleading participants about the specific purpose of the study. Also known as commission.

Question 5

Debriefing

Answer 5

A postexperimental explanation of the purpose of the study. A debriefing is given after a participant completes a study, especially if deception was used

Question 6

Confidentiality

Answer 6

The practice of keeping strictly secret and private the information or measurements obtained from an individual during a research study.

Question 7

Anonymity

Answer 7

The practice of ensuring that an individual’s name is not directly associated with the information or measurements obtained from that individual.

Question 8

Institutional Review Board (IRB)

Answer 8

A committee that examines all proposed research with respect to its treatment of human participants.

Question 9

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)

Answer 9

A committee that examines all proposed research with respect to its treatment of non-human subjects.

Question 10

Fraud

Answer 10

The explicit efforts of a researcher to falsify and misrepresent data. Fraud is unethical.

Question 11

Replication

Answer 11

Repetition of a research study with the same basic procedures used in the original study. The intent of replication is to test the validity of the original study.

Question 12

Plagiarism

Answer 12

Presenting someone else’s ideas or words as one’s own and it is unethical.