Research ethics: A conversation

Ross Woods, 2020

1. Some research plans presuppose particular conclusions. I’ve invented X and I want to prove it works. However, the research plan should be designed to test the hypothesis rather than prove it. In other words, it should give equal possibility to the conclusion that X does not work.
2. How do you know that people really understand in giving informed consent?
3. Researchers bring blind spots to their research. For example, researchers can be unconsciously coercive:
1. People in positions of perceived power or some other kind of unequal relationship.
2. People of cultural groups who are likely to feel that agreement is necessary to be polite.
4. What do you do when a researcher has a relationshp with research subjects other than reseacher-subject? (E.g. pastor, church member?)
5. What do you do when a subject puts the researcher in danger?
6. How do you handle unintended consequences from research?
7. How would the researcher respond to people in crisis? When should they provide support, and what kinds of support?
8. Are privacy protocols strong enough to prevent repercussions? How do you keep people at arm’s length? For example:
   • Brad discontinues as a research subject.
     Joe works at the same institution, and finds out that Brad dropped out.
     Joe can now inflict repercussions on Brad, although ethically, he should not have been able to find out that Brad left the research project.
9. What about proposed research on controversial or sensitive topics? When could they cause reputational damage to the institution?
10. What strategies does the IRB have for handling ethical dilemmas? For example, it might face two (or more) options, none of which is completely ethical.
11. What do you do when your ethical principles are quite different from the law?
12. It is easy to be very naive about online surveys.
1. How do you even know that respondents are part of the intended research population?
2. How can respondents be sure that the research is ethical and will follow ethical guidelines?
3. What are the specific rules for online surveys?
13. How secure is the data? Who checks that it is deleted on time?
14. Working with animals:
1. Animals are not “furry test tubes.” Ethics committees should reject inhumane research projects with animals, even if it inconveniences researchers, who are in positions of power over animals.
2. What are the boundaries for genetic manipulation? When are you playing God?
3. What about animals that are specifically bred to die from diseases such as cancer?