Final Project: Research Report

Ethical Issues in Research

Chellyn Jones

Southern New Hampshire University

Identify three ethical issues that might arise in the conduct of the research present in the cases.

Issue of access and skills

Exclusion of the disadvantaged within the community, for example, poor, elderly and unemployed in research studies often denies them the rights to contribute to the benefits of participating in that particular research. Exclusion entails a disregard for the capacity of the described groups of people within the population to participate in the study and participate effectively (Shivayogi, 2013). Thus, this notion might decrease the community's level of participation and engagement within the research, thus reducing the research results' effectiveness.

The ethical principle of respect for autonomy.

The ethical principles for autonomy regard the availability of various data collection methods as well as consenting the level of use of information that they provide. It is worth noting that although most people participate in research studies meant to be shared publicly, it does not mean that they seek public visibility (Eysenbach & Till, 2001 p.1104). Thus, an ethical issue might arise in the public's determination and private information to start the consent necessary from participants might affect the research by increasing the costs from legal litigations that might follow the investigation.

The ethical principle of non-maleficence- Avoidance of harm

The ethical issue addresses the disregard for the possibility of more harm to patients through publicly sharing their information. It is worth noting that some participants typically seek legal redress to participate and provide their private information to the public. Thus, this notion might prevent the provision of reliable information by the participants, affecting the quality of the research. Therefore, there needs to be adherence to participants' privacy issues to avoid the legal consequences or any spill effects on the participants' effectiveness and commitment (McGee, 2008 p.118).

Select one of the issues you identified and describe how you would address this issue to comply with both legal and professional standards of practice

One of the most effective prevalent issues entails the ethical principle of non-maleficence, whereby the researchers should take into consideration the effects of using and sharing personal information to the public. This notion can be decreased by properly providing the terms for participating in the research to the potential participants for consent. Since some patients may lack the capacity to make effective decisions, their family caretakers should answer the questions correctly.

Subsequently, the researchers should properly follow the rules set by ethical review institutions such as the Institution review board and the government through the constitution such as through the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). These guidelines will make sure that the research properly adheres to individuals' fundamental rights in regards to the use of their electronically provided data. It is worth noting that the provision of a legal basis for lack of compliance of some of the legal requirements meant to protect participants from harm will increase the level of adherence to those particular rules.

In conclusion, ethical principles mainly occur due to complications that generally arise with determining what information requires consent before being publicly shared or used. This provision is primarily because of the possible impacts on the health of the participants. However, there needs to be the development of preventive measures to prevent the occurrence of situations that might lead to ethically based litigations.

References

Eysenbach, G., & Till, J. E. (2001). Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. BMJ, 323(7321), 1103-1105. doi:10.1136/bmj.323.7321.1103

McGee, P. (2008). Ethical issues in using the internet in research — 2: Commentary. Research Ethics, 4(4), 158-160. doi:10.1177/174701610800400406

Shivayogi, P. (2013). Vulnerable population and methods for their safeguard. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 4(1), 53. doi:10.4103/2229-3485.106389