Question

Provide a discussion on the following ethical considerations, citing relevant sources:

Ensuring participants have given informed consent;

Ensuring no harm comes to participants;

Ensuring confidentiality and anonymity; and

Ensuring that permission is obtained

Answer 1

Ensuring participants have given informed consent

Informed consent is a written document in which the subject used for the research give their consent over the decision to participate in it. It involves people who are being involved in the study or research and under ethical considerations, they should be informed about the research and the details that will be used in the research and should give written consent on the same. It is a willingness given voluntarily to participate in the trial required for the research after knowing all the details of benefits and risks which are important for the subject to know for their participation. It is unethical to involve them in the study without their informed consent.

Ensuring no harm comes to participants

This rule implies both physical and mental harm. The researcher should confirm to the subject that any harm to them will not be involved during the research. An obligation of beneficence which means to do no harm and to maximise the well being of the people involved in the research is required for ethical conduct through the process. The physical harm can come from any injury or damage was done and mental harm can be in the form of stress, anxiety, or invasion of privacy.

Ensuring confidentiality and anonymity

Confidentiality and anonymity explain the privacy ensured to the subject in the process of the research. Any information that can be identifying should not be available to anyone than the researcher. They cannot be mentioned in any published documents or reports such that they reveal the person's confidential details. This implies that any such information that can identify the person's identity without the names being revealed should also be kept confidential. Anonymity is a stricter form of confidentiality wherein the names of the people involved are not revealed to the research team also. They make the research randomly with a group of people without knowing their identity in any form.

Ensuring that permission is obtained

Permission has to be obtained in the research from the subject's owner, guardian or parent if the person is a minor and if the research involves any action that can be objectionable to include without the permission of the owner. In case of a minor, permission from the parent is obtained. Similarly, for research made in a college, consent from the principal or such authroity of the college is required. Thus any research work done without proper persmissions obtained will be considered unethical.