Questions answered ;
What are the ethical considerations in social/educational research? And why are they needed?
What are the cultural considerations in social / education research? And why are they needed?
Ethics give not only research but also life a sense of right and wrong. For a study to produce meaningful and reliable output, it needs to adhere and conform to the necessary ethical standards. With every single research, the question of ethics arises. Ethical considerations in research are the ethics or rules that govern how to conduct social or educational research. Some of these ethical norms are deemed prevalent and hence consistently overlooked while conducting studies. Paying attention to ethics is crucial and vital since it promotes the objectives of theeducational or social research, which may be the pursuit of knowledge, promotion of justice, or the pursuit of change andimprovement in a given educational or social sector. Ethics also promotes essential social and moral values like integrity and trust, which enable society to gain confidence in the credibility of published work. The researcher’s efforts to not harm the parties involved in educational or social research is also an indication of ethical, social values.
Moreover, adherence to ethics deters falsification, misrepresentation, and minimizes the occurrence and publication of errors in educational research (Lankshear, 2004). This ensures that the results of a study are factual and reliable. Researchers, therefore, need to be careful in their approach to ethical issues. Discussed below are some ethical considerations in educational or social research.
Informed consent is one of the most crucial ethical considerations when conducting research. This factor requires the participants in a study to be well aware of all the information concerning the research. The participants require ample information and details about the publication of the educational or social research project, the use of the research findings, who has access to the data collected, and the aim of the research(Fenwick, 2015). Equipping the participants with this information gives them the necessary tools to enable them to decide whether or not they want to be part of the study. Ensuring informed consent is done mostly by the issuance of consent forms. These forms contain all the necessary information about the research and inform the participants about their rights and responsibilities. Informed consent enforces autonomy. Autonomy is the ability of a person to make an informed decision about a matter without the involvement of another party. A proper educational or social researchmethodology should allow the participants the freedom to decide whether to participate without involving deceit or coercion (Lankshear, 2004). Participation should be voluntary, and withdrawal should be an option. If the participant feels that they can no longer continue with the research process, they should be able to drop out without an explanation. The exit of a participant is bound to be difficult for the researcher, especially if they have covered a considerable portion of the educational or social research. This, however, should not make the researcher pressure the participant into staying.
The privacy of the participants is also a significant consideration in research. There should be a line that dictates what is confidential and what is to be made public. Privacy could apply in two perspectives, namely; confidentiality and anonymity. Confidentiality applies where the research participant chooses to keep their identification information away from the public (Hammersley, 2015). This information is only disclosed to the individuals coordinating the educational or social research. In this situation, the researcher should ensure that in the study, the description of the participant is not verbose or detailed to the extent that exposes the participant’s identity. With anonymity, the participant chooses to have their identity undisclosed to neither the public nor the researcher. It is essentially stricter compared to confidentiality since even the research team is unaware of the participant’s identity.
The concept of ‘do no harm’ is also a necessary ethical consideration in research. The research team should try its utmost best to minimize any harm that the research may have on the study subjects or other researchers. Harm could occur in many forms, including financial, reputational, physical, and mental damage (Akaranga, 2016). Educational or social research should be carried out in a way that ensures honesty and integrity in the findings. The publication of the study may sometimes cause emotional distress and anxiety for the participants. It may also lead to loss of jobs for some people and ruin reputations of institutions or people. Sometimes, it may be difficult to discern what constitutes harm. Some may view the loss of a job as a result of publishing research as harm, especially fired persons. On the other hand, it may be considered to be a beneficial effect on the public and organization since it probably rectifies a misdoing and promotes the efficiency of the organization. This concept may make research a bit difficult for the researcher. For example, upon concluding the study, the research team may realize that the findings could suggest to the public that an institution is not up to standard. The research team would, therefore, be at crossroads on whether they should still publish their findings.
In addition to ethical considerations, cultural considerations also play a vital role in educational research. Human beings are cultural beings since everyone has their way of life. Culture applies to numerous aspects of one’s life, ranging from language, moral and social values, ethnicity, gender, age, and social organization, among others. Understanding the diversity and uniqueness of the population under study is vital in any research. Cultural consideration enables the researcher to view things in with the populations’ perspectivein mind. It allows the researcher to create a culturally safe environment for the participants to express themselves without fear of judgment or ridicule (Lochmiller, 2015). The research methods applied at any instance should cater to the societal norms, vocabulary and nonverbal cues held dear by the given community while simultaneously being academically sound. This ensures that the social and cultural needs of the target population are met. Adhering to the cultural beliefs and ways of people promotes the receptivity of the study by the community. The participants become more open and freer with the researchers when they feel that their culture is accepted, valued, and understood.
Language is a significant factor to consider when it comes to culture (Fenwick, 2015). A language barrier may be a great hindrance to productive and successful educational or social research. Involving bilingual or bicultural persons in the study may help solve the problem of the language barrier. They will be able to facilitate any differences in culture and language that may occur. Obtaining information from study subjects may be extremely difficult and lead to misinterpretation and misrepresentation of data. The study subjects may also be unwilling to cooperate if they consider the researchers to be cultural outsiders. Culturaloutsiders, in this case, means people from a different cultural background. Minimization of a language barrier may be achieved by offering bilingual written materials, the use of translators, and spending time in the cultural context.
Consideration of history and personal experiences is also a key factor to consider(Lankshear, 2004). People have diverse backgrounds and historical pasts. The history and culture of marginalized communities, refugees, and minority groups should be taken into consideration when conducting educational or social research. The cultural perspective of the minor groups should be considered just as much as that of major groups.
In conclusion, taking into consideration cultural differences and ethics are vital in any given educational or social research. Adherence to the above factors determines the quality and credibility of research and is, therefore, paramount to the success of the research.
References
Lankshear, C., & Knobel, M. (2004). A handbook for teacher research. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Hammersley, M. (2015). On ethical principles for social research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 18(4), 433-449.
Akaranga, S. I., & Makau, B. K. (2016). Ethical Considerations and their Applications to Research: a Case of the University of Nairobi. Journal of educational policy and entrepreneurial research, 3(12), 1-9.
Lochmiller, C. R., & Lester, J. N. (2015). An introduction to educational research: Connecting methods to practice. Sage Publications.
Fenwick, T., Edwards, R., & Sawchuk, P. (2015). Emerging approaches to educational research: Tracing the socio-material. Routledge.