MEDIA RESEARCH ETHICS

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The researcher must also keep in mind that no method can ever be completely safe for himself or his respondents … The ethics of social science are situation ethics” (Humphreys, 1970)

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Roger D Wimmer & Joseph R Dominick. Mass Media Research: An Introduction, Wadworth Publications , London 2003.

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Sotirios Sarantakos, Social Research, Macmillan Publications. New York, 2005

An „ethic‟ is a moral principle or a code of conduct which … governs what people do. It is concerned with the way people act or behave. The term „ethics‟ usually refers to the moral principles, guiding conduct, which are held by a group or even a profession (though there is no logical reason why individuals should not have their own code)” (Wellington, 2000: 54)

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Wellington, J., 2000, Educational Research: contemporary issues and practical approaches, London: Continuum

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Sotirios Sarantakos, Social Research, Macmillan Publications. New York, 2005

During this war, Germany had concentration camps in which they put people they thought were non-human such as homosexuals, Jews, gypsies, and the mentally ill.

The German medical community did experimentation on these groups. Such experimentations were not considered good science later and did great harm to these “non-people” including killing some of them.

NAZI SCIENCE

The Nazi euthanasia project

Mengele's twin studies at Auschwitz

Nazi sterilization experiments

Dachau hypothermia and high altitude

experiments

Buchenwald biological warfare experiments

Nazi medicine's role in genocide

In the USA, we had a famous violation of research ethics. During the early part of the 20th century poor Black men who had syphilis were in a research study funded by the USA government. At that time, there was no effective treatment for this disease. As this research continues into the early 1970s, there was treatment for syphilis but these men did not receive it. When the news of this reached the public there was outrage about this unethical use of human research subjects. There was a nurse involved in this and a play was written with her as a main character.

THE TUSKAGEE SYPHILIS STUDY

In a scientific study of the effects of syphilis over several decades in black populations around Tuskagee in USA sufferers were not properly treated to allow the disease to progress so that the effects could be studied

The study was continued until 1972

The scientific team

As part of the study lumbar

punctures were made without

informed consent

WHY BEING ETHICAL?

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INFORMED CONSENT

Ethical principles involved are:

Person‟s autonomy,

Do no harm,

Do good,

Truth telling

Person being asked to participate in research needs to have freedom of choice. Should be able to say no freely if wishes to. Should understand that if enters the research, can withdraw later if wishes to---------------------------------------------------------------------

Matt.Henn, A short Introduction to Social research, Sage Publications, Uk , 2003 , P: 85

INFORMED CONSENT

Subjects in a study must base their voluntary

participation on a full understanding of the possible

risks involved.

.1Voluntary participation

.2Competence

.3Full Information

.4comprehension

.5Privacy

.6Sensitivity

.7Setting

.8Dissemination

.9Anonymity & Confidentiality

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------------------------------------Matt.Henn, A short Introduction to Social research, Sage Publications, Uk ,

2003

REFERENCES

BERA , 2004, Revised Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research

www.bera.ac.uk/publications/guides.php

ESRC (2005) Research Ethics Frameworkwww.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/opportunities/research_ethics

/_framework

Roger D Wimmer & Joseph R Dominick. Mass Media Research: An Introduction, Wadworth Publications , London 2003.

.

Wellington, J., 2000, Educational Research: contemporary issues and practical approaches, London: Continuum

Sotirios Sarantakos, Social Research, Macmillan Publications. New York, 2005