Introduction
Various ethical issues arise during the research process and researchers need to be able to handle them in the right manner to ensure that they manage to carry out their studies for their benefit and the benefit of the society at large (Pain, 2008). Also, when referring to a particular person or group of people during the conduct of a research process, it is important to ensure that only words are unbiased (Coleman, 2007).
Analyzing Ethical Scenarios
Sandra, a research assistant is being forced by the leading scholar in her field, Dr. Fredrick, to carry out research work that will not add any value to her academic progress as well as her advancement in the field of research. She is also worried that she is limited in terms of what she can learn and that she will not be able to publish a useful dissertation if she continues to focus on the company work. Dr. Fredrick is mostly concerned with working for the company due to their financial support instead of helping the research assistant to acquire important skills. It is however important to note that he has done nothing wrong with giving Sandra this assignment, the only wrongdoing is that he does not give her the chance to focus on other basic areas which are important for her academic excellence (Mosavel & Oakar, 2009).
In this regard, it is expected that Sandra will face various conflicting issues when conducting her research. In terms of data collection, it has been noted that other students have been sworn in not to divulge any information to outsiders. This means that Sandra may be limited in terms of the data she will be able to access and therefore her research work may not contribute much to her field of study (Creswell, 2009). In terms of data interpretation, Sandra may face a conflict over the ownership of the data as the company may claim that it owns the data and therefore no one else should use it (Dew, 2007). Finally, in terms of publishing the research findings, Sandra may be forced to manipulate the results to ensure that they are in line with the interests of the company that is offering to fund Dr. Fredrick’s work (Horton, 2008).
Recognizing and Avoiding Bias
This scenario is such that the researcher will be carrying out a literature review on the adjustment of children raised in same-sex marriages. Being biased reduces the objectivity of the study and is, therefore, an undesirable attribute in a researcher. It is therefore important for this researcher to use the appropriate degree of specificity when describing people and this is determined by the research question and the current state of knowledge of the family members (Alderson & Morrow, 2011). It is also important for the researcher to make sure that people’s preferences are respected and this means that they must be referred to using the labels they prefer. In this case, it is not right to refer to families as gay couples but refer to them as same-sex parents (Fisher, 2009).
In consideration of the above, it is important for the researcher to ensure that the research participants are recognized in the right manner and to also make sure that this is in line with the general guidelines of the particular research field (Bryman & Bell, 2011). According to Barron, Barrett & Martinez-Cosio (2009) recognizing and avoiding bias in research is important to ensure that the rights of the research participants are not violated in any way. This promotes a peaceful research process which helps the researcher to collect the required data and make the right conclusions as dictated by the research questions.
Conclusion
This analysis has covered the various ethical considerations that researchers need to observe while in the conduct of their work.
References
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Bryman, A. & Bell, E. (2011). Business Research Methods. Oxford University Press: New York.
Coleman, D. (2007). The Legal Ethics of Paediatric Research. Duke Law Journal. 57(2): 517-624.
Creswell, J. W. (2009). Research design: Qualitative, Quantitative and Mixed methods Approaches (3rd ed.). Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA.
Dew, K. (2007). A Health Researcher’s guide to Qualitative Methodologies. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health. 31(1): 433-437.
Fisher, E. (2009). The Moral Consequences of studying the Vulnerable: Court mandated reporting and beyond. Narrative Inquiry. 19(4): 18-34.
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Pain, R. (2008). Ethical possibilities: Towards Participatory Ethics. Children’s Geographies. 6(1): 104-108.