The humanities and social sciences

In practice, humanistic and social scientific research often takes place without requirements for research ethics review and reflection being brought to the fore. However, many fundamental documents concerning research involving humans apply to humanistic and social scientific research. But even those who do not conduct research on humans must consider questions concerning a researcher's ethics.

Social studies

In Europe, the RESPECT guidelines have been drawn up as a voluntary code for European socioeconomic research. UNESCO published Ethical Guidelines for International Comparative Social Science Research in the Framework of M.O.S.T. These guidelines apply to an important area, including anthropological or sociological studies of foreign cultures, indigenous peoples and the like. For more information, see Culture Studies.

Professional ethics

The professional ethics codes, for example The Ethics in Social Work, were formulated for many professions within these areas. Often used is the Code of ethics from The International Sociological Association. Research ethics is addressed in a National Statement on Research Integrity in Social Work from The Council on Social Work Education (US).

Controversial methods

Various methods, some controversial, exist within an area's disciplines. Should it be allowed that humans be unwittingly studied using modern visual media? In the field of medicine, there is the detailed Making and Using Visual and Audio Recordings of Patients from the General Medical Council (UK). Regarding participatory observation studies, there are a couple of guidelines from The European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research, ICC/ESOMAR International Code of Marketing and Social Research Practice, and Tape and video recording and client observation of interviews and group discussions. University of Toronto's Guidelines for Ethical Conduct in Participant Observation is but one of many attempts at creating a local guideline. When such research involves children one may use a Informed Consent Template for Research Involving Children (Qualitative Studies), from WHO.

Research using the Internet is still in its infancy. Apart from the fact that the individual's integrity and personal information must be protected, this type of research presents difficulty as regards consent. Guidelines have been offered by The Association of Internet Researchers in Ethical Decision-Making and Internet Research, as well as the Norwegian National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities, which published Research Ethics Guidelines for Internet Research. Individual suggestions for a body of rules are presented in Ethical Guidelines for Research Online by Amy Bruckman at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and in The ethics of research using electronic mail discussion groups, by Debbie Kralik et.al.. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has issued a workshop report including recommendations with the title "Ethical and Legal Aspects of Human Subjects Research on the Internet: a Report of a Workshop".

Last updated: 2010-01-03