Ethical guidelines and good practice for social research

Abstract

As researchers, we have an obligation to apply high ethical standards, to act with integrity and to strive for consistency of thought and action. This is particularly true for social scientists, whose 'subjects' are people. With the increasing popularity of paradigms such as 'research in action' addressing issues of inequality, wellbeing, behaviour and decision-making we have to be cognisant of our potential impact on societal norms and culture. Ethics refers to the established standards that prescribe what humans ought to do, usually in terms of rights, obligations, and benefits to society, fairness, or specific virtues. Most research institutions, professional associations and government agencies have adopted specific codes, rules and policies relating to research ethics. These rules help protect both the organization and the researcher against potential legal implications of neglecting to address important ethical issues of participants. In these guidelines we outline best practice for conducting social research addressing concerns such as: informed consent, confidentiality, respondent burden and feedback.