Ethical Issues in Research
Ethical Guidelines
The British Educational Research Association works to a series of ethical guidelines that set
out that educational research should be conducted within an ethic of respect for persons,
respect for knowledge, respect for democratic values, and respect for the quality of
educational research. The guidelines set out a series of responsibilities that the researcher
should adopt.
These include:
Avoiding fabrication, falsification, or misrepresentation of evidence, data, findings or
conclusions. The researcher should not ‘make things up’.
Making findings of research available to the people involved.
Reporting research ideas, procedures, results and analyses accurately and in sufficient
detail to allow other people to understand and interpret them.
Honesty and openness should characterize the relationship between researchers and
their participants.
The guidelines also identify that the researcher has certain responsibilities towards the people
involved in the research, which include:
Participants have the right to be informed about the aims, purposes and likely
publication of findings involved in the research.
They should give their informed consent before participating in the research.
They have a right to withdraw from the research at any time.
They have a right to remain anonymous.
Gaining informed consent
Informed consent refers to the research participants voluntarily agreeing to take part in a
project based upon complete disclosure of all relevant information to the participant by the
researcher, and the participant fully understanding the information (NCB 2002).
Tell the participants what the research is about, their role and what you want to
achieve by doing the research.
They should know that they don’t have to take part in the research if they choose not
to.
They should know what will happen to any information you obtain.
They should know the benefits and any potential consequences your research project
may have for them.
They should know what you will do about confidentiality and know that they have the
right to withdraw from the research at any point.
Gaining access to children and young people for research
It is important that the researcher has gained consent from the relevant person or authority
and fully explained the purpose of the research. The organisation may wish to seek consent
from the parents or legal guardians of the child or may require you to obtain that consent.
Usually schools act in ‘loco parentis’ and grant permission to researchers on behalf of the
parents and guardians.
As a researcher you are not immune to vulnerability. You will have chosen a topic of
personal significance and will invest your time, physical energy and emotional self in the
project. There may be occasions when you hear something that upsets you or alters the way
that you think about your colleagues or the young people involved in your research. It is
helpful if your research has a fixed finish point as this enables the researcher to achieve
closure (Roberts-Holmes 2005).
You should also ensure that you provide feedback to your participants and thank them for the
time they have given you during the research.
Research Standing Philippines
13 Scientific Divisions
Divisions I- Governmental, Educational, and International policies
Division II- Mathematical Sciences
Division III- Medical Sciences
Division IV- Pharmaceutical Sciences
Division V- Biological Sciences
Division VI- Agricultural and forestry
Division VII- Engineering
Environment
Watershed Management
Disaster and hazard management
Global warming and climate change
Ecotourism and biodiversity
Pollution and waste management
Land
Water
Water supply Development
Surface water assessment/development
Groundwater assessment/development
Water for energy resources development
Hydroelectric development
Rural water supply and wastewater disposal
Water Quality Management
Point source pollution
Non-point source pollution
Acid precipitation
Groundwater pollution
Strategies for water quality control
Water quality monitoring
Analytical techniques for identification and qualification of substance concentration
Multi-Natural Hazard
1. Geological (inside the earth)
2. Geomorphic (earth surface)
3. Atmospheric (weather)
Industrial and chemical hazards
Oil spills
Hazardous chemical leaks
Industrial wastes overflow
Biological radiological exposure
Human epidemics
Dengue
Malaria
Influenza
Alternative Energy
Biofuel performance testing program
Biodiesel R&D program
Bioethanol R&D program
Information communications Technology
Grid and cluster computing
Open Source and Low-cost Computing
Internet, Network and wireless technologies
Digital content Development
Foundation of computer science
Emerging Technologies
Small satellites
Biotechnology
GM Crops
PRSV resistant papaya
Delayed ripening papaya
Cloning of Coconut genes
Tissue Culture and Regeneration of coconut
Recombinant vaccine
Edible vaccine
Herbal Medicine
Clinical evaluation of herbal medicines for hyperaemia and constipation
Pre-clinical screening of plants for TB and malaria
Clinical studies of plants for TB and malaria
Basic research on tuba-tuba and yacon
Traditional knowledge on health
Vaccines
Development of human influenza vaccine
Development of edible vaccines
S. japonicum vaccine up-scaling and animal testing
Studies on functional foods Essential Drugs
Development of drugs using local materials
Development/production of drugs using imported materials
Man’s Major Needs
Man’s Major needs and problems demand research:
To reduce man’s burden of work
How to relieve suffering
Increase satisfaction in fulfilling his needs
Cravings
Aspirations
Needs and Problems of Man where product of research are born
Past problems Present remedy
Difficulty in going to different floors Elevators and Escalators
Hand washing of clothes Washing Machine
Difficulty in cooking rice & reheating Rice cooker and
left –over microwave oven
Prepared by:
Group 1
Joahna Marie B. Sacdalan
Ellen Jane DC. Mendoza
Denise Bernadette L. dela Cruz
