Ethical considerations relating to correlational research are discussed in this module.

Learning Objectives

• Describe why adhering to ethical principles is important in research
• Discuss the ethical principles that should guide the researcher’s actions in correlational research
• Describe the purpose and function of the Institutional Review Board

Ethics are the norms or standards for conduct that distinguish between right and wrong. They help to determine the difference between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors on the part of the researcher. Why are ethical considerations so important in research? The integrity, reliability and validity of the research findings rely heavily on adherence to ethical principles. The readers and the public want to be assured that researchers followed the appropriate guidelines for issues such as human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law, conflicts of interest, safety, health standards and so on. The handling of these ethical issues greatly impacts the integrity of the research project and can affect whether or not the project receives funding.

Ethical considerations in research are critical in correlational research, just as they are in other types of research. In fact, correlational research often has an ethical advantage in that it can be used to study relationships between variables without subjecting participants to something harmful. For example, a researcher could examine whether there is relationship between smoking and lung cancer without subjecting participants to smoke by examining existing data or doing surveys. The method used for data collection often determines the most important ethical considerations for a particular correlational research study. For example, archival data is collected from previously archived information and examined for correlations, and therefore there are no concerns about the treatment of human subjects during the data collection. The researcher would primarily need to be sure to protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the subjects from whom the data was originally collected. When conducting naturalistic observations and surveys, the primary ethical concerns would be related to the treatment of human subjects.

Regardless of the type of correlational research method, the researcher should take into consideration both general research principles and those that are more specific to the type of research. In all research, ethical standards prevent against such things as the fabrication or falsifying of data and therefore, promote the pursuit of knowledge and truth which is the primary goal of research. Ethical principles also focus on protecting research participants with the guiding foundation of “do no harm”. Following is a list of core ethical principles related to the protection of research subjects.

• Respect for persons – Respect the autonomy, decision-making and dignity of participants.
• Beneficence – Minimizing the risks (physically, psychologically, and socially) and maximizing the benefits to research participants.
• Justice – Participants should be selected from groups of people whom the research may benefit.
• Respect for communities – Protect and respect the values and interests of the community as a whole and protect the community from harm.

To address these considerations when working with human subjects, most institutions and organizations have developed an Institutional Review Board (IRB). An IRB is a panel of people who help to ensure the safety of human subjects in research and who assist in making sure that human rights are not violated. They review the research methodology in grant proposals to assure that ethical practices are being utilized. The use of an IRB also helps to protect the institution and the researchers against potential legal implications from any behavior that may be deemed unethical.

Examples of some of these issues include voluntary participation and informed consent. These principles are followed to guarantee that all human subjects are choosing to participate of their own free will and that they have been fully informed regarding the procedures of the research project and any potential risks. Potential participants must be competent to decide regarding participation and must be free from any coercion. The consent may be given in a written or oral form depending on the nature of the research. Ethical standards also protect the confidentiality and anonymity of the subjects. Researchers should not share information between participants and should have procedures in place to protect the data and names of participants. Please refer to the resource links on this page for additional information regarding IRB and working with human subjects.

Because ethical considerations are so important in research, many professional associations and agencies have adopted codes and policies that outline ethical behavior and guide researchers. These codes address issues such as honesty, objectivity, respect for intellectual property, social responsibility, confidentiality, non-discrimination, and many others. These codes and policies provide basic guidelines, but researchers will still be faced with additional issues that are not specifically addressed and this will require decision-making on the part of the researcher to avoid misconduct. The resources on this page address many of the problems and case studies used in these resources provide excellent examples of these types of issues. For additional information and examples of ethical codes and standards, researchers can refer to The Belmont Report and the APA’s Ethics Code.

The following video, Research Ethics Involving Human Subjects, provides examples from history that demonstrate the need for ethical guidelines and principles that govern the research process, especially where the use of human subjects is concerned. This video further discusses the Belmont Report, IRB and other topics discussed in this module.

Suggested Readings

Bernard, H. R., & Bernard, H. R. (2012). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Sage.

Burns, R. B. (1997). Introduction to research methods. Addison Wesley Longman.

Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.

Gall, M. D., Borg, W. R., & Gall, J. P. (1996). Educational research: An introduction . Longman Publishing.

Neuman, W. L., & Neuman, W. L. (2006). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches.

Punch, K. F. (2013). Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. Sage.

Rosenthal, R., & Rosnow, R. L. (1991). Essentials of behavioral research: Methods and data analysis. McGraw-Hill Humanities Social.