SOC 101 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: American Sociological Association, American Psychological Association
4 Jul 2018
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Ethics in Sociological Research
Ethics are self‐regulatory guidelines for making decisions and defining professions. By
establishing ethical codes, professional organizations maintain the integrity of the profession,
define the expected conduct of members, and protect the welfare of subjects and clients.
Moreover, ethical codes give professionals direction when confronting ethical dilemmas, or
confusing situations. A case in point is a scientist's decision whether to intentionally deceive
subjects or inform them about the true risks or goals of a controversial but much‐needed
experiment. Many organizations, such as the American Sociological Association and the
American Psychological Association, establish ethical principles and guidelines. The vast
majority of today's social scientists abide by their respective organizations' ethical principles.
A researcher must remain mindful of her or his ethical responsibilities to participants. A
researcher's primary duty is to protect the welfare of the subjects. For example, a
researcher whose study requires extensive questioning of volunteers' personal
information should screen the subjects beforehand to assure that the questioning will
not distress them. A researcher should also inform subjects about their expected roles
in the study, the potential risks of participating, and their freedom to withdraw from the
study at any time without consequences. Agreeing to participate in a study based on
disclosure of this type of information constitutes informed consent. After the study is
finished, the researcher should provide subjects with complete details about the study.
Providing details at the conclusion of an experiment is called debriefing.
Many critics believe that no experiment justifies the intentional use of deception, or
concealing the purpose and procedures of a study from participants. Not only does
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