the ethics of research a summary of the british sociological association guidelines

The Ethics of Research

A summary of the British Sociological Association

Guidelines

Truthfulness

• Findings must be reported truthfully and accurately.

Training

• Do not carry out work which is above your level of training and experience.

Safety

• Do not put yourself at risk of physical or moral danger.

Respondent's safety

• Do not embarrass, shame or endanger any of the subjects of the research.

Trust

• Do not abuse the trust of people who are being studied.

Consent

• People should know that they are being studied and should give their consent.

Withdrawal

• If people do not want to continue in a study, then they can pull out at any time.

Video and tape

• Do not tape or video people if they don’t want to be recorded.

Feedback

• If it is possible, people should have some form of feedback from research.

False hope

• Don’t lead people on by asking questions that make them think things will change because of the research.

Vulnerable people

• Some people are vulnerable because of age, infirmity or understanding. Take special care of their feelings.

Exploitation

• Try not to lie to people. This means that observations should be avoided, if there is a chance they intrude into people’s lives.

Anonymity

• Protect people’s identity at all times. Do not give real names or clues to who they are which might identify them.

The end

For further information:

See the British Sociological Association