TOPIC 3: RHR107V

Research Methodology IV

Understanding Research Ethics

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 Prepared by Dr. K.F. Lessing
Date: 16 May 2021

Assessment Criteria

Assessment criteria:

1. Differentiate between the following terminologies and understand how these are applied to the research ethics of
projects in the field of management sciences:
• Potential harms - page 41
• Ethics – page 41
• Reflexivity - page 47
• Confidentiality- page 47
• Anonymity – page 47
• Informed consent - page 47
• Research ethics committee - page 47
• Privileged access – page 49
• Intrusion – page 49
• Vulnerable populations – page 49
• Gatekeeper - page 49

2. Define ethics and ethics in business research (See Introduction) - page 40-41
3. Appreciate ethics in business research by reflecting on the following issues:
• Ethical issues and dilemmas in business research - page 42
• The importance of ethics in research - page 43
• Ethics and your research – page 43

Assessment Criteria

4. Differentiate between the following key ethical principles and reflect how they are applied in research within your discipline:
• Do no harm – page 43
• Integrity - page 44
• Plagiarism - page 44
• Validity – page 44
• Power – page 44
• Transparency – page 44 19

5. Reflect on the meaning and importance of being an ethical reflective research practitioner page – page 46

6. Differentiate between confidentiality, anonymity and informed consent and apply them to research projects within the
Faculty of Management Sciences - page 47-49.

7. Differentiate between the ethical considerations of privileged access, intrusion, vulnerable populations and gate keeper
permission and apply them to research projects within the Faculty of Management Sciences (see Other ethical issues in
research) page 49-50.
8. Appreciate institutional research ethics by explaining the role and procedures of the TUT Research Ethics Committee
(REC) and the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of Management Sciences when applying for
ethical clearance. (*See material as posted on myTUTord2l) *

9. Examine the ethics of online research in terms of the following issues / those as required by your lecturer:
• Benefits and risks of online research - page 22
• Ensuring confidentiality – page 23
• Informed consent - page 23
1. Differentiate between the following terminologies and
understand how these are applied to the research ethics of
projects in the field of management sciences:

1. Potential harms - A potential harm is a harm that might occur. - p. 41

2. Ethics - Moral principles governing the conduct of an individual, a group or an organization. - p. 41
3. Reflexivity - Researcher’s active thoughtful engagement with every aspect and development of their
research, e.g. self-reflection, self-consciousness, self-awareness. - p. 47
4. Confidentiality - The non-disclosure of certain information. - p. 47
5. Anonymity - Free from identification. - p. 47
6. Informed consent - Agreement given by a person to participate in some action, after being informed of
the possible consequences. - p. 47
7. Research ethics committee - Convened by organizations to monitor and police the ethical standards
of research projects in which the parent organization has some gatekeeping role. - p. 47
8. Privileged access - Prior access to an individual or site that provides an advantage in securing access
for the purpose of conducting research. - p. 48
9. Intrusion - Unwarranted, unnecessary or unwelcome engagement on a person or place. - p. 49.
10. Vulnerable populations - Populations that have some vulnerability, in terms of their social position or
their age or their state of well-being. - p. 49
11. Gatekeeper - Any person or structure that governs or controls access to people, places, structures
and/or to organizations. - p. 49
2. Define ethics and ethics in business research (See
Introduction) - page 40-41:

2. Ethics can be defined very simply as a process of reasoning in terms of

the right thing to do. In business, as in any other endeavour, ethics is about
doing the right thing. In research, it is about doing your work honestly, with
integrity, doing it safely and ensuring no harm results to anyone or anything.

2.1 Defining Ethics

Ethics can be defined as the moral principles governing the conduct of an
individual, a group, or an organisation. In research, as in business, there
are fundamental ethical principles.

2.2 Ethics in Business Research

Ethics in business research is simply the application of ethical principles and
standards to business research.
 3. Appreciate ethics in business research by reflecting on
the following issues:

3. Reflect on the following issues:

3.1 Ethical issues and dilemmas in business research - page 42

• The recent global financial downturn raised a significant number of

issues and dilemmas in relation to ethics in business.

• In the aftermath of the downturn significant changes have been made,

and continue to be made in relation to ethical standards in the conduct of
business throughout the world.
 3. Appreciate ethics in business research by reflecting on
the following issues:

3. Reflect on the following issues:

3.2 The importance of ethics in research - page 43

• When we undertake research, we are representing ourselves and our

institution or organisation in the wider community.

• We should consequently adopt the highest ethical standards.

 3. Appreciate ethics in business research by reflecting on
the following issues:

• We should always try to present ourselves as ethical practitioners and

professionals.

3. Reflect on the following issues:

3.3 Ethics and your research – page 43

• It is important that you begin to think as an ethical practitioner

• Critically engage with your own ethical standards and behaviours

 3. Appreciate ethics in business research by reflecting on
the following issues:

• Critically engage with the ethical standards of your own research

Consider the stages in the research process

Ask yourself:

• what are the potential harms that might arise from your research, and from
the manner in which you engage with the research and the standard you set
for your research, throughout every stage of the research process?;

• what are the potential risks that might arise from your research, and from the
manner in which you engage with the research and the standard you set for
your research, throughout every stage of the research process?
4. Differentiate between the following key ethical principles
and reflect how they are applied in research within your
discipline :

Key ethical principles and reflect how they are applied in research within your discipline:
1. Do no harm – above all, you should do no harm - page 43
2. Integrity – the integrity of the research project is dependent upon the integrity of the
researcher - page 44
3. Plagiarism – plagiarism, the presentation of somebody else’s work as your own, is a
most serious offence. To avoid plagiarism and accusations of plagiarism you must learn
to reference properly - page 44
4. Validity – above all, the research project must be valid. The concept of validity in
research is a question of how logical, truthful, robust, sound, reasonable, meaningful and
useful is the research. – page 44
5. Power - Power is the most fundamental ethical issue. Every researcher should critically
examine their engagement with their research in terms of their own personal,
organisational and institutional power, and the impact that may have on the research –
page 44
6. Transparency – one established way of avoiding potential harms in a research project is
through the use of openness and transparency. Through open and honest
communication about your research you can identify and eliminate potential harms –
page 44
5. Reflect on the meaning and importance of being an ethical
reflective research practitioner page – page 46
:
The Ethically Reflective Practitioner

It is important for standards in ethics in research that every researcher becomes

an ethically reflective practitioner.

Take time to think critically about the standards in your own research.

Critically reflect on the way in which you conduct your research.

6. Differentiate between confidentiality, anonymity and

informed consent and apply them to research projects
within the Faculty of Management Sciences - page 47-49:

The Ethical Issues of Anonymity and Confidentiality

1. Anonymity is a guarantee that researchers sometimes make to research

participants, individuals and/or organisations, that they will not be identified at
 any time during the research, and that they will not be identifiable in any way in
any written account of the research.
2. Confidentiality in research generally refers to the guarantee that researchers
make to participants, individuals or organisations, that their contribution to the
research will remain confidential.
3. Informed Consent
The principle of informed consent is another ethical concern.
The researcher is obliged to inform potential participants of the nature of the
research, and the nature and extent of their participation in the research, and
any possible consequences for them arising from their participation.

Based on this information, potential participants may give their (informed)

consent to participate in the research.
7. Differentiate between the ethical considerations of
privileged access, intrusion, vulnerable populations and gate
keeper permission and apply them to research projects within
the Faculty of Management Sciences (see Other ethical issues in
research) page 49-50:

Other Ethical Issues in Research

Other ethical issues include the issue of privileged access, the issue of intrusion,
and the issue of vulnerable populations.
Privileged access – where the person has some advantage in securing access.
Intrusion – unwarranted, unnecessary and/or unwelcome intrusion for the
purposes of research is unethical, and potentially illegal.
Vulnerable populations are populations with some vulnerability, for example, in
terms of their social position, their age or their state of well-being.
A gatekeeper is any person or structure that governs or controls access to
people, places, structures and/or to organizations. The issue of vulnerable
populations is a substantial ethical issue. Some populations are researched a lot
and some are not. Powerful people tend not to be the subjects of research
projects. This is often because they feel powerful enough to refuse to participate
in research projects, or they are powerful enough to have a gatekeeper
protecting them and deflecting invitations to participate. Children are considered
a vulnerable population in terms of research.
 8. Appreciate institutional research ethics by explaining the role
and procedures of the TUT Research Ethics Committee (REC) and
the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of
Management Sciences when applying for ethical clearance. (*See
material as posted on myTUTor D2L) *

Research Ethics Committees (REC’s)

• Many organisations have REC’s

• These committees are made up of people appointed by the organisation

to oversee the ethical standards of research conducted within the
organisation.

• The requirements of such committees are often substantial – you should

establish as soon as possible whether or not you will be required to submit
your research proposal to an REC for ethical approval.

• If you must, then you should as soon as possible inform yourself of the
requirements of the REC.
 8. Appreciate institutional research ethics by explaining the role
and procedures of the TUT Research Ethics Committee (REC) and
the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of
Management Sciences when applying for ethical clearance. (*See
material as posted on myTUTor D2L) *

Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of Management Sciences.

APPROVAL OF PROJECT PROPOSAL AND STUDY PANEL

After clearance to register is approved, the student prepares and submits a research proposal
preferably within six months (but not later than eight months) to the relevant DRC, for approval by
the FCPS.

If the research proposal is approved by the FCPS, the “Application for Approval of Project Proposal
and Confirmation of the Study Panel” form (PGS01), and the Research Proposal must be submitted
to the SCPS for notification. In cases where research ethics clearance is required, the final
research proposal, an ethics clearance application, and protocol must be submitted to the relevant
Research Ethics Committee (FCRE / REC). The FCPS must be notified immediately by the REC of
the outcome.

TUT Research Ethics Committee (REC):

 8. Appreciate institutional research ethics by explaining the role
and procedures of the TUT Research Ethics Committee (REC) and
the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of

• Research Ethics Committee (REC): This is the committee that

independently evaluates, monitors, and approves research that involves
humans, animals, and the environment within a framework of duly
recognised national and international research ethics guidelines.

Research Ethics Committees (REC’s)

 8. Appreciate institutional research ethics by explaining the role
and procedures of the TUT Research Ethics Committee (REC) and
the Faculty Research Ethics Committee (FCRE) for the Faculty of
Management Sciences when applying for ethical clearance. (*See
material as posted on myTUTor D2L) *

1. Questions for the planning phases of the research process

2. Questions for the literature review
3. Questions for the population and sample
4. Questions for data gathering
5. Questions for negotiating access
6. Questions for an ethical engagement with participants
7. Questions for data management
8. Questions for data analysis
9. Questions for completing the research
10.Questions for disseminating the research

(*See material as posted on myTUTor D2L) *

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9. Examine the ethics of online research in terms of the
following issues / those as required by your lecturer:

The ethics of online research in terms of the following issues / those as

required by your lecturer:

Source in MyTutor: Chapter 2: The ethics of online research in FIELDING,

N.G., LEE, R.M. & BLANK, G. 2017. The SAGE handbook of online research
methods. Sage. 2nd edition.

• Benefits and risks of online research - page 22

• Ensuring confidentiality – page 23
• Informed consent - page 23
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Benefits and risks of online research - page 22

1. The investigators’ must ensure that participants will not be harmed by taking part in any
study as there may well be unintended consequences of research unforeseen by the
researcher.

2. Online research is not intrinsically more likely to be harmful than face-to-face methods, yet it
does pose different challenges

3. Strategies to try to address these issues include building a good rapport with participants,
establishing ‘netiquette’ in group discussions (and providing participants with an easy way to
leave the study.

4. A second issue is the potential of harm to the researchers. Given the anonymity of the
Internet, researchers can come across or receive distressing information of numerous kinds.
Examples include people who are contemplating suicide, people who are considering/have
committed a crime, people who are bullying others or people who are grieving.
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5. What a researcher does with such information has ethical, and in some cases legal,
implications.

Ensuring Confidentiality – page 23

1. Harm can also occur due to breaches of confidentiality and anonymity

caused by the misuse of storing or using the data.

2. Researchers have a responsibility to ensure the confidentiality of data

and the privacy of participants at all stages of the process.

3. The Internet may encourage people to discuss topics or disclose more

details than they would be willing to in face-to-face situations
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4. Securely transmitting of data include the use of encryption and the
separate transmission of personal data and experimental data.

5. Data protection from people accessing it or tampering with it in

networked systems commonly in place in universities.

6. Possible strategies - use password-protecting computer directories, saving

personal data and experimental data separately, encrypting the files, or coding
the data, it reduces the likelihood of people being able to trace the data to a
specific individual.
7. Participants may wish to contact the researchers up to and including the
debriefing stage at the end of the study, yet directly emailing the researchers
may compromise anonymity in a number of ways.
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8. First, email addresses are often identifiable as they can contain names,
geographical location and organizational affiliation. Second, a copy of all emails
is retained on the server of the sending account, any transmitting server and on
the destination server and these copies are frequently retained on back up
recordings for a number of years.

9. Email should be reduced to a minimum with offline methods or alternative

webbased methods utilized where appropriate, for example setting up a forum
on the research website for participants to ask questions.

Informed consent - page 23

1. Participants in any research project must do so on the basis
of informed consent,
2. Participants must understands:
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• What the goal of the research is.
• What they are agreeing to do
• The potential risks and benefits of taking part, and
• Have details of alternative options that may benefit them.
3. Participants must have the option to ask clarification
questions.
4. Participation is voluntary and participants can withdraw at any
time.
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