BUS3059 Week 2 Discussion

Internet Related Ethical Issues

Conducting research in which participation occurs via the Internet introduces some unique dif�culties into the

business research process. However, ethics will be just as important in such an environment as they will be in a

more personal environment. It can be dif�cult to obtain informed consent when dealing with internet-related

issues, as there may be ways in which a participant's data might be intercepted while it is traveling from computer to computer along the internet.

Even if data is not intercepted, the researcher may receive information that could be used to personally identify

the participant in the communication that is received. Thus, the researcherneeds to anticipate the existence of

such potentially personally identi�able information, and to takes steps to ensure that such information is not used

for any types of unauthorized data mining activities.

Business research is sometimes conducted on behalf of a third party, known as the sponsor of the research. A sponsor may not wish to be identi�ed as the person or organization that is paying for the research to be

conducted. Thus, both the con�dentiality of the sponsor and the con�dentiality of the participants must be

protected. The sponsor is entitled to receive quality research, but is not entitled to review the basic data on which

the research is based if revealing the basic data would compromise participant con�dentiality.

Research should never be conducted in a way that molds the results to those desired by the sponsor. Results

should always be provided to the sponsor in a manner that is clear and accurate.

The researcher is not the only person who must maintain acceptable ethics during the business research project. Those who will assist the researcher must maintain the same level of integrity in protecting research subjects and

any sponsors of the research.

Many organizations have codes of ethics that will guide those who have access to research subjects or data about

the research subjects. These codes help direct researchers into ethical modes of conducting research, providing

quality results for making important business decisions.