Principles based Ethical Research

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# <b>Principles based Ethical Research</b>
## Practical Research Ethics
### Hugh Rabagliati
### Department of Psychology<br/>The University of Edinburgh
### AY 2021-2022

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# Plan for this mini-course

### **Learn to do Research Ethics**

- The principles behind ethical research

- The laws behind ethical research

- How to apply for ethical review

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# Why do we bother with ethical review?

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- 1930s: Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan conduct abominable experiments on prisoners.

- 1930s: USA begins Tuskegee Syphilis Study.

- 1950s: Milgram conducts obedience to authority study.

- 2000s: Numerous high-profile psychologists (Marc Hauser, Diederick Stapel) accused of publishing falsified data.

- 2010s: British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica harvests personal data from millions of Facebook users.
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![:scale 100%](images/bps_ethics.png)
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# Principles-based research ethics
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![:scale 50%](images/bps_ethics.png)

** British Psychological Society **

- Respect for the autonomy and dignity of persons

- Social responsibility

- Maximising benefit and minimising harm

- Scientific value
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![:scale 35%](images/APA_Ethics.png)

** American Psychological Association **

- Respect for persons and autonomy

- Justice

- Trust

- Beneficience and nonmaleficience

- Fidelity and Scientific Integrity

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# Respect for persons

### What does it mean to conduct research based on respect for individuals?

- If a doctor were to ask you to take part in a medical study, what would you want to know ahead of time?

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### A key marker of respect for persons is *informed consent*

- Full disclosure of all information, including risk and benefits

- Listing of the obligations and responsibilities of both parties

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# Potential concerns about fully informed consent

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** Confusion **

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- Understandable information sheets

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** Comprehension **

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- Distinguish consent from assent

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# Social responsibility

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### Justice

Ethically assigning the burdens as well as the benefits of research.

- Imagine: *A study to train working memory in children...*

- How do you ethically assign children to Test and Control groups?
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# Social responsibility

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### Justice

Ethically assigning the burdens as well as the benefits of research.

- Imagine: *A study to train working memory in children...*

- How do you ethically assign children to Test and Control groups?
]

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### Trust

Ensuring your participants' participation and data are protected.

- For example, keeping data *Confidential* versus *Anonymous*

- *Confidential data.* Identity of the participant is stored by the researcher, but cannot be accessed by others.

- *Anonymous data.* Identity of the participant is not even known by researcher.

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# Maximising benefit and minimising harm

### Do good, and do no harm

- The goal of minimising harm is why *deception* is typically frowned upon, and must be accompanied by a debrief.

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# Scientific value

Psychological science is a ** community ** exercise: Your participants, your collaborators, your readers and your peers.

Research misconduct harms all of these individuals.

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# Next time:
# General Data Protection Regulations