What is research ethics and why it is important in social research?

Ethics in research is, to put briefly, a set of norms of conduct in doing research. In social sciences, it is usually defined as a set of moral principles and rules concerning the behaviour of the researcher towards the researched/the participants of research, their psycho-physical properties, and the respect of their socio-cultural context. These principles are universal (generally accepted, e.g. based on respect for human rights, respect for collective rights) and specific (characteristic for a given society, group, nation, minority).

Ethics in research is primarily concerned with consideration and application of comprehensive moral principles that aim to prevent “harming others, promoting goodness, showing respect and being guided by justice” (Sieber 1993, p. 14). Unethical research may be unintentional as it may result from insufficient knowledge of the researchers. Therefore, researchers should understand and be aware of how they act to protect against any ethical abuses; researchers should also strive to prevent abuses in research (and be mindful of it already at the stage of preparing their study).

Due to the complexity of the issue, there is no single guideline or a single list of principles of research ethics. Ethical requirements for research may vary from country to country, while many universities have their own policies on research ethics. There are, however, some universal principles or points for considerations common for most policies. The section below offers a basic list of steps to follow while planning your research.