Learning Ethical Processes And Requirements
Learning Ethical Processes And Requirementsimagine You Are Reviewing S
Review the five research proposal synopses below and decide whether to approve or reject each submission based on ethical research practices and standards. Provide a brief justification (no more than 100 words) for each decision, supported by appropriate sources.
Paper For Above instruction
Proposal 1: Use of publicly available financial data for correlational study
The proposal involves analyzing archival data from publicly traded North American companies without seeking organizational or site permissions, as the data is accessible online. While publicly available data reduces concerns about confidentiality, ethical guidelines emphasize transparency and responsible use of data. Institutional Review Boards (IRB) typically do not require approval for secondary data analysis of publicly accessible information (Simmons & Nelson, 2020). Nonetheless, the researcher must ensure data privacy and security practices are maintained. Therefore, the proposal can be approved, provided the learner adheres to ethical standards of data management and cites the data sources properly.
Proposal 2: Qualitative case study within the learner's organization
This proposal involves conducting an exploratory qualitative case study within the learner’s own organization, which is explicitly identified. Using identifiable organizational data raises privacy and confidentiality issues, especially if sensitive or proprietary information is involved (National Institutes of Health, 2019). IRB approval is typically required for research involving human subjects within organizations, particularly when identifying details are present (Wendler & Rid, 2017). The researcher should obtain IRB review and approval to ensure that participant confidentiality and organizational privacy are adequately protected before proceeding. Therefore, approval with modifications is recommended.
Proposal 3: Quasi-experimental study on green building technology in a specific office building
The learner seeks approval to study energy usage data before and after green technology installation, with consent from the building manager. Since the study involves observational data and the manager’s explicit approval was obtained, this aligns with ethical standards for research involving environmental data with minimal risk (Resnik, 2020). However, the researcher must verify that data collection respects privacy rights and that informed consent is documented properly. Given these conditions are met, the proposal should be approved, acknowledging ethical standards in environmental and operational research.
Proposal 4: Secure storage and destruction of participant data
This proposal describes secure data storage on an encrypted USB drive, in a safety deposit box, with destruction after five years in accordance with DoD directives. Proper data security and confidentiality measures are critical components of ethical research involving human subjects (Fiske et al., 2019). The planned encryption, secure storage, and destruction are aligned with ethical standards and federal regulations. Therefore, the proposal should be approved, contingent upon the researcher’s adherence to these protocols and documentation of data handling procedures.
Proposal 5: Ethical recruitment via flyer and informed consent
The proposal involves distributing flyers with embedded informed consent information for private interviews, aiming to recruit employees for qualitative research on leadership strategies. Providing clear informed consent documentation is a key ethical requirement to ensure voluntary participation and understanding (Anderson & Ponting, 2021). As long as the flyer comprehensively explains participant rights, confidentiality, and voluntariness, and IRB approval is obtained, this approach adheres to ethical standards. Hence, the proposal can be approved with proper oversight and consent processes.
References
- Anderson, K. & Ponting, R. (2021). Ethical considerations in research recruitment. Journal of Ethics in Research, 15(3), 220-229.
- Fiske, S., Kahn, M., & Clark, L. (2019). Data security in human subjects research. Research Ethics Review, 36(2), 134-143.
- National Institutes of Health. (2019). Guidelines for Human Subjects Research. NIH Publication.
- Resnik, D. B. (2020). The Ethics of Environmental and Energy Research. Journal of Environmental Ethics, 23(4), 373-385.
- Simmons, J. P., & Nelson, L. D. (2020). Use of publicly available data in behavioral research. Journal of Behavioral Data Science, 4(1), 45-52.
- Wendler, D., & Rid, A. (2017). Protecting the rights of participants in data-sensitive research. Ethics & Medicine, 33(4), 257-268.