Business

Marketing Research

3rd Edition
Jan Wiid & Colin Diggnes
ISBN 978 148 511 200 6

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 1

Business

Chapter 2

Research ethics

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 2

Learning Outcomes

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

• define research objectives;
• understand the importance of ethics in research;
• determine what issues can cause ethical implications;
• determine the principles of ethical research;
• understand the ethical behaviour of the researcher;
• determine the rights and obligations of the sponsor; and
• understand the ethical treatment of the participant.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 3

Introduction
• Ethics definition:
“The set of principles or rules and norms of conduct for correct behaviour.”
• It involves an individual’s moral behaviour, and the values and principles that guide
an individual’s behaviour.
• Ethical norms are broader than the legal laws of society and can be used to
evaluate and interpret the laws that are set out by society.
• Ethics in research refers to the application of moral rules or codes of conduct
during the planning, conducting and reporting of research.
• It applies to any study that makes use of individuals as participants in the research.
The three objectives of research ethics are:
– to protect the individuals who are participating in the research process;
– to guarantee that the research process is conducted in a way that serves the
– interests of the participants; and
– to ensure the ethical soundness of the research process.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 4

Why ethical research is important
• There are several reasons why ethical research is important:
– Ethical norms and standards encourage and promote the aims of the research
being conducted.
– Ethical research promotes values such as trust, accountability, respect and
fairness in conducting research and working with other researchers and
participants.
– Ethical research ensures that researchers can be held responsible for their
behaviour and are accountable to the public.
– The ethical conduct of the researcher can determine whether they will receive
funding for the research project. It also helps to build support from the public
for the research.
– Conducting ethical research promotes morals and values such as social
responsibility, human rights, animal welfare and compliance with health and
safety regulations.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 5

Codes and policies for research ethics
• The purpose of the codes of ethics is to establish a set of principles and procedures
to guide the researcher in achieving the goals of the research project.
• The ethics codes and policies of the organisation will outline the obligations of the
researcher and all those involved in the research process.
• Some general aspects that an ethics code or policy would address include the
following:
– Integrity - refers to the soundness of the researcher’s moral behaviour.
– Honesty - the researcher must be truthful, upright and fair in the research process.
– Human protection - when using individual participants for the research, it is important
that they are not harmed in any way.
– Animal care - research involving animals should be done in a careful, respectful manner.
– Legality - researchers involved must at all times obey the relevant laws.
– Non-discrimination - researchers must be sure not to discriminate in any way or form.
– Social responsibility - researchers should promote the social wellness of society.
– Confidentiality - important records or documents should be kept confidential.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 6

Principles of research ethics
• When doing research involving individual participants, it is
important to take into consideration the well-being of the
individuals involved.
• The three core ethical principles that guide the research
process are:
– Respect - it is important to be considerate of those participating in the
research. Individuals who will be part of the research should provide
their full consent.
– Welfare - refers to the health, happiness and general well-being of an
individual and includes their physical, social and economic conditions.
– Justice - refers to the quality of being fair and equitable in the way the
researcher treats all the individuals participating in the research.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 7

Ethical behaviour of the researcher
• Standards and operating procedures for ethical practice by
researchers are as follow:
– Correct purpose of research.
– Objectivity of research.
– Misrepresentation of research.
– Protecting the right to confidentiality of the client and
participants.
– Dissemination of faulty conclusions.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 8

Rights of the research sponsor or
client
• The client/sponsor, has the right to ethical research that is of high quality.
• The researcher must ensure that they provide the client with quality
research and a research design that is appropriate for the research question.
• When conducting research that is sensitive, the sponsor also has the right to
distance itself from the study, and they have the right to confidentiality.
• There are different types of sponsor confidentiality:
– Sponsor non-disclosure- An outside research firm is hired to conduct the
research.
– Purpose non-disclosure - The sponsor may be conducting research for a
specific purpose, and disclosure at the time may affect the sponsor
negatively.
– Findings non-disclosure - The sponsor can request that the research
findings be kept confidential.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 9

Obligations of the research sponsor
or client
• Clients also have ethical obligations that they should
adhere to, they are:
– Ethical business dealings - Business ethics that relate to
the individual making a purchase and the individual selling
the product.
– Relationship with the research suppliers - The research
client should encourage the researcher to be honest and
truthful, and to be objective in the research process.
– Honesty - The conclusions gathered from the research
should not be changed in any way so that it is not in line
with the actual data collected.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 10

Ethical treatment of participants
• Researchers must ensure that the rights of the participant are protected,
by designing and executing research processes that do not harm or cause
any pain and discomfort to the participant.
• The following ethical issues concern the participant:
– Deception - Researcher knowingly providing participants with incorrect
information.
– Informed consent - Researcher must request permission from the participant.
– Access - Researchers may need specific individuals either to interview them.
– Debriefing - Researchers explaining any form of deception that might occur.
– Privacy - The participant has the right to privacy.
– Confidentiality - Ensuring anonymity in the research report could be difficult.
– Conflict - Anxiety and animosity can occur during the interview process.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 11

Strategies to ensure ethical issues
are addressed appropriately
• Stakeholder analysis
– Researchers need to identify all parties who will be involved in,
who have an influence on, or who may be impacted by the
research.
– Parties/individuals include the participants, the sponsors,
managers and research team members, competitors and senior
managers who are able to authorise the research process.
– After the stakeholders are identified, a risk analysis is
conducted.
– Risk analysis identify the type of risk that could occur, the
potential impact it will have on the stakeholders, and the
likelihood of the occurrence of the risk.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 12

• Informed consent and anonymity
– The participants must be given a document explaining:
• the research objectives;
• the role of the participant in the research;
• how the confidentiality of the participant will be ensured;
• potential risks and any harm to the participant; and
• how the researcher intends to minimise this risk.
– The participant must provide their consent to participate in the
research by signing this document.
– The participant must not be pressured into giving consent or
participating in the research.
– The anonymity of the participant must also be ensured.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 13

• Objectivity
• It is important to consider the way in which data is collected and recorded.
• Each method of collecting data will affect the objectivity of the research in
different ways.
• Researchers must be aware of all the possible outcomes and errors that
could occur so that they are prepared to handle the situation in an ethical
manner.
• The researcher can sometimes affect the outcomes of the research
unintentionally.
• Participant observation that is done without the knowledge of the
participants can raise many ethical issues, and is therefore essential that
ethical clearance needs to be done. Once the research has been
conducted, those involved in the research must be informed.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 14

 Code of conduct
• A set of ethical guidelines for researchers worldwide is available online.
• It is important to note the purpose, fundamentals and scope of the code,
as well as clarifying definitions.
• The ethical guidelines are captured in seven articles, namely:
– basic principles;
– honesty;
– professional responsibility;
– transparency;
– ownership;
– recording and observation techniques; and
– data protection and privacy.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 15

Summary
• Research ethics refers to the set of rules and behaviours that must be adhered to when
conducting research.
• It is important to be ethical in all aspects of the research process, as unethical behaviour can
cause harm to individuals participating in the research.
• An organisation must develop ethical codes and policies that will be used to guide
researchers.
• All parties involved in the research have rights and obligations that must be considered and
adhered to.
• The researcher has the right to be paid for their work provided, and must adhere to certain
rules when conducting the research.
• The sponsor or client has the right to receive ethical, quality research from the researcher,
they have the right to be anonymous and they are obligated to assist them where necessary.
• Essential for researchers to protect the rights of the participants.
• Researcher needs to design the research process with minimum risk/harm to the participant.
• Four strategies that can help in addressing or avoiding certain ethical issues.
• The researcher must provide a detailed consent form for all participants to sign, which will
inform them of all the possible risks involved.

© Juta and Company Ltd, 2016 Market Research 3e 16