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Ethics
Over the years, there has been an increase in the debate about bias in research. This
has prompted different authors to come out and share their perspectives about the same.
These researchers have produced a number of methods that they believe could be used to
minimize the bias in research. Some of these researchers are King, Keohane, and Verba
through the book dubbed “Designing Social Inquiry.” In the book, King, Keohane, and Verba
provide insights regarding evaluating causal effects, analyzing the uncertainty of empirical
inferences, measuring data accuracy, and establishing the causal effects[1]. Additionally, the
three scholars provide several recommendations that can be used to minimize the extent of
bias in research. One of the three scholars' key recommendations is that research should not
be conducted based on the dependent variable only as it would lead to non-valid causal
inferences[2]. For example, King, Keohane, and Verba indicate that a researcher studying war
outbreaks should not focus on the cases where it broke out but also on cases where the war
never happened.
Consequently, King, Keohane, and Verba also provide insights regarding the
challenges in research due to the use of explanatory variables[3]. Although these scholars do
not advocate for researchers to refrain from using the explanatory variables, they provide
some insights regarding the problem of multi-collinearity that could arise due to the variables
correlating with each other. The three researchers, King, Keohane, and Verba, outlined
applying the same methods used in evaluating causal inference in qualitative research to
quantitative research. The only change should be increasing the number of observations. The
recommendation to increase the number of observations would help eliminate the
measurement error and reduce the probability of finding difficulties in estimating multiple
regression due to fewer observations.
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Alternatively, Angrist and Pischke, in the book dubbed “Mastering Metrics” have also
provided insights regarding the issue of causal effects in research[4]. The two researchers
teamed together to provide a few strategies that incorporate statistical methods to differentiate
between the different variables in research and allow a better understanding of both the
spurious and causal effects. In the book, the two authors outline five statistical approaches
that can be used to evaluate the causal relationships from any provided observational data[5].
The five methods implied by Angrist and Pischke include the Differences in Differences
(DID), Regression Discontinuity Design, Two-Stage Least Squares Regression (2SLS), and
Regression with Matching and Randomize Trials.
Lastly, ethical, and moral principles in research are crucial for numerous reasons, such
as supporting collaborative work and expanding knowledge by promoting the research
aims[6]. For scientific research to be done appropriately, there should be a collaboration
between the groups and the scholars. Therefore, several consequences could arise if the
researchers fail to adhere to this study's ethical and moral principles. First, failing to adhere to
the ethics and moral principles that govern research lowers the study's credibility. This is
because the people who receive the research are likely to have no confidence in it. The
methods used in its compilation are questionable. Moreover, failing to adhere to the ethics
and moral principles of research could increase the potential risk of the participants being
harmed, either psychologically, socially, or physically, which is inappropriate[7]. No matter
how much research is important to society, it is crucial to always uphold the dignity of the
participants and human rights. Any violation affects the credibility of the study.
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Bibliography
King, Gary, Robert O. Keohane, and Sidney Verba. "Designing social inquiry." In Designing
Social Inquiry. Princeton university press, 1994
King, Gary, Robert O. Keohane, and Sidney Verba. "Designing social inquiry." In Designing
Social Inquiry.
King, Gary, Robert O. Keohane, and Sidney Verba. "Designing social inquiry."
Angrist, Joshua D., and Jörn-Steffen Pischke. Mastering Metrics: The Path From Cause To
Effect. Princeton university press, 2014
Angrist, Joshua D., and Jörn-Steffen Pischke. Mastering Metrics: The Path From Cause To
Effect
Vanclay, Frank, James T. Baines, and C. Nicholas Taylor. "Principles for ethical research
involving humans: ethical professional practice in impact assessment Part I." Impact
Assessment And Project Appraisal 31, no. 4 (2013): 243-253
Vanclay, Frank, James T. Baines, and C. Nicholas Taylor. "Principles for ethical research
involving humans: ethical professional practice in impact assessment Part I
