Without a properly organized method, no research can resolve a problem. Since centuries, a Scientific Method is being used for deducing research studies. Mass Media Studies, being a field of Social Sciences, involves a direct observation with human beings – inquiring/examining about what they’ve done in relevant study preference. Since human beings have certain rights, a researcher must ensure that rights of his/her study participants are not violated in any form.

1. Ethics in Research
A guide to principles and procedures
Fiza Zia Ul Hannan
(Ph.D. Scholar)

2. Research & Science
“Each individual researcher has an ethical responsibility to seek knowledge and
to strive for improving the quality of life.” - (Referral: Shaughnessy and
Zechmeister, 2003)
Without a properly organized method, no research can resolve a problem. Since
centuries, a Scientific Method is being used for deducing research studies.
Scientific Research is to dig out facts by using *Method of Science.
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*The other methods of knowing are distinguished from method of science, because of its nature of
spontaneously communicable, it is unbiased, determinable, firm & flexible, alongside empirically verifiable.

3. Mass Media Research ... (stairway)
 The research in mass media cannot be solely regarded as linear.

4. Mass Media Research ... (Contd.)
 Mass Media Studies, being a field of Social Sciences, involves a direct
observation with human beings – inquiring/examining about what they’ve
done in relevant study preference.
 Since human beings have certain rights, a researcher must ensure that rights
of his/her study participants are not violated in any form.

5. Research Ethics
 Research ethics concerns the responsibility of researchers to be honest
and respectful to all individuals who are affected by their research
studies or their reports of the studies’ results.
 Nearly every research study has a potential of affecting subjects in some
way, either psychologically or physically.

6. Research Ethics … Why are they Important?
 They depict that those, who take part in a research study, are respectable.
 They ensure that no unreasonable, unsafe or thoughtless demands are made
to the participants in a particular study.
 They ensure that sufficient knowledge is shared by all concerned.
 They are perceived norms as an expectation for research process.

7. 4 General Ethical Principles
1. Principle of Autonomy (Self-determination)
2. Principle of Non-maleficence (Innocuous approach)
3. Principle of Beneficence (rewarding approach)
4. Principle of Justice **(Unbiased approach)
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**Scientific Research Arena is open to all for knowledge refinement. There should be fairness in
procedures for selecting participants.

8. Cook’s Code of Conduct ... (1976)
 Do not involve people in research without their knowledge or consent.
 Do not coerce people to participate.
 Do not withhold from the participant the true nature of the research.
 Do not actively lie to the participant about the nature of the research.
 Do not lead the participant to commit acts that diminish his or her self-
respect.
 Do not violate the right to self-determination.
 Do not expose the participant to physical or mental stress.
 Do not invade the privacy of the participant.
 Do not fail to treat research participants fairly and to show them
consideration and respect.

9. The Belmont Report ... (1979)
 Individuals should give consent to participate in studies and those
who cannot give their consent (children, people with diminished
abilities, and prisoners) need to be protected.
 The researcher shall not harm the participants, and shall minimize
risks alongside maximizing the possible benefits.
 He/she shall demonstrate fairness in procedures for selecting
participants.

10. What Projects Need Ethical Approval?
 A study where human participants are involved.
 A study where participants’ (any) property is used.
 Any work that potentially impacts a particular research arena.
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Note: Where ethical approval is deemed unnecessary a disclaimer may be signed by researcher (and
supervisor)

11. Key Ethical Issues
1. Informed Consent
2. Concealment, Deception / Misinformation
3. Need for debriefing
4. Right to withdrawal
5. Anonymity / Confidentiality

12. Informed Consent ...
The general concept of informed consent is that human participants should be
given complete information about the research and their roles in it prior they
agree to participate.
Explain why and ensure understanding.
Subjects, who’re interested to volunteer for some research study, always need
to know enough about the project to make an intelligent choice. In an
experiment, informed consent means that potential subjects must be warned of
any possible discomfort or unpleasantness that might be involved during the
process.

13. Informed Consent ... Subject’s literacy
 Simply telling participants about the research does not necessarily
mean they are informed, especially in situations in which the
participants may not be competent enough to understand.
 Problems might occur in research examining the impact of mass
media upon illiterate communities.

14. Informed Consent ... flaws
 Researchers have an obligation to answer candidly and truthfully, as
far as possible, all the participant's questions about the study.
However, some often tell their participants exactly what will be done
but do not explain why.
 Subjects should be told if they would be subjected to unpleasant
audio or visual stimuli, or undergo any procedure that may be
concerning for them.

15. Informed Consent ... (Contd.)
 Summary of research background to and rationale for proposal
 Nature of data to be collected
 Procedures and measuring tools/equipment
 Who’d be the participants?
 Where would data be collected?
 How would data be stored and for ***how long?

16. Concealment, Deception / Misinformation …
It is defined as an act of withholding certain information from the subjects. It
could also be related to as wrong info-provision (misleading).
Passive deception (omission) is the withholding or omitting of information; the
researcher intentionally does not tell participants some information about the
study.
Active deception (commission) is the presenting of misinformation about the
study to the participants. The most common form of active deception is
misleading participants about the specific purpose of the study.

17. Concealment, Deception / Misinformation …
This usually takes place during Experimental Research.
Deception often reforms a subject (human) into a manipulative object.
Approximately 1/3 of the subjects exhibit their fears while being a
victim of deception for participating in the previous researches. –
(Referral: Fillenbaum, 1966)

18. Concealment, Deception … is good!
Very un-usually, for fear of contaminating the results, a researcher is unable to
disclose his/her entire study project.
Suppose that a research aims to examine the influence of peer pressure on
commercial evaluations, alerting the subjects to this facet of the investigation
might change their behavior in the experiment.
Hence, a researcher carefully embeds Principle of Non-maleficence (Innocuous
approach) with Principle of Beneficence (rewarding approach). – (Referral:
Christensen, 1988)

19. Concealment, Deception … in usage
Obviously, deception is not a technique that should be used arbitrarily.
It is suggested that before a researcher takes on deception as an experimental
tactic, two considerations should be weighed by him/her:
1.How significant is the proposed study?
2.Are alternative procedures available that would provide the same information?
– (Referral: Kelmen, 1967)

20. 5 Conditions to use Deception
Deception can be considered ethically justified in social science research when:
there is no other feasible way to obtain the desired information.
the likely benefits substantially outweigh the likely harms.
subjects are given an option to withdraw at any time without penalty.
any physical or psychological harm to subjects is temporary.
subjects are debriefed well and the research procedures are made available for
public review.
– (Referral: Elms, 1982)

21. Debriefing … what is needed and expected?
Debriefing is defined as a full description of the true purpose of the study,
including usage and purpose of deception.
“Approximately 71% of the researchers reports that they usually debrief subjects,
19% debrief sometimes, while 10% rarely or never debrief their subjects.” –
(Referral: Survey study by Greenberg and Garramone, 1989)
“Subjects are keen to know about experiment in conduction alongside its
timespan and involved risks.” – (Referral: Silverstein & Suede Feld, 1973)

22. Right to Withdrawal
Acceptance rate in an experiment, survey, or focus groups is always voluntary,
and any sort of persuasion is unacceptable.
Researchers, who are in a position of authority over subjects, should be
especially sensitive to implied coercion. It is suggested to have the person in
authority (investigator) be absent from the room while the survey is
administered.
Any particular subject can refuse to remain a part of study at any point.

23. Anonymity / Confidentiality … in discourse
Subjects have a right to know whether their privacy will be maintained and
who will have access to the information they provide.
Guarantee given by a researcher that a respondent would not be linked to any
particular response (****anonymity).
Guarantee given by a researcher that although the respondents could be
identified as individuals yet their names or personal biodata would never be
publicly associated with the provided information (confidentiality).

24. Anonymity / Confidentiality … (Contd.)
The researcher's responsibility for assuring confidentiality does not end
once the data gets analyzed or the study concludes.
 Questionnaires that identify persons by name should not be stored in
public places, nor should other investigators be given permission to
examine confidential data unless all identifying marks have been
obliterated.

25. Ethical Issues & Scientific Integrity
Writing a research report is naturally an important step in the scientific
process, since the report places the research study in the public domain for
consideration and confirmation.
One cardinal rule is that researchers do not fabricate data (make false,
deceptive, or fraudulent statements concerning publications or research
findings).
Researchers never camouflage information that might influence the
interpretation of their results.

26. Ethical Issues & Scientific Integrity … (Contd.)
 Researchers do not present portions of another’s work or data as their own,
even if they do, the work/data source is properly cited (referencing).
 The resultant facts are communicated openly, equally getting prone to
criticism (not to mention, this generates a platform for gathering literature
for future studies).
 Scientific Research allows validation and measurement of factual statements
and phenomenon. Any researcher working upon superstition or any of the
other determined assumption is believed to be practicing irrelevant
research. There should be a linkage between determined assumptions and
facts through a serial observation (replication).

27. Ethical Issues & Scientific Integrity … (Contd.)
 Success in academic profession directly associates with an honestly
constructed profound contribution in the scientific research arena. That
certainly requires a professional publication portfolio.
 Very first ethical guideline is to submit a research study in only one journal
(at a time).
 Reviewing Committee of research journals also have ethical obligations to
distinguish between an error or fraud (an explicit effort to
falsify/misrepresent data).
 A timely & just review by committee in-charge is ethically obligated as well.

28. A Professional Code of Ethics
Formalized codes of ethics have yet to be developed by all professional
associations involved in mass media research. One organization that has
developed its own ethical code is the American Association for Public Opinion
Research.
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Kindly refer to the provided hand-out.

29. References
 Cook, Stuart W. in Ethical Issues in the Conduct of Research in Social Relations, (1976)
 The Belmont Report ... (1979)
 Dominick and Wimmer in Mass Media Research, an introduction (Last Chapter)
 Deborah Smith in five principles for research ethics by American Psychological
Association, Vol 34, No. 1, (2003) [Link: http://
www.apa.org/monitor/jan03/principles.aspx]
 J. P. Swazey, K. S. Louis, and M. S. Anderson in the ethical training of graduate students:
problems in academic research, (2009)
 IEEE Policy Statement on Self-Plagiarism