Ethical consideration in Nursing research | CHAPTER-1 | Research Methodology

Ethical consideration in Nursing research – In its most common sense, methodology is the study of research methods. However, the term can also refer to the methods themselves or to the philosophical discussion of associated background assumptions. A method is a structured procedure for bringing about a certain goal, like acquiring knowledge or verifying knowledge claims. This normally involves various steps, like choosing a sample, collecting data from this sample, and interpreting the data. The study of methods concerns a detailed description and analysis of these processes. It includes evaluative aspects by comparing different methods.

In this way, their benefits and drawbacks are evaluated, as well as the research goals for which they may be used. These descriptions and evaluations are predicated on philosophical background assumptions; examples include how to conceptualize the phenomena under study and what constitutes evidence in favor of or against them. In its broadest sense, methodology encompasses the discussion of these more abstract issues.

Ethical consideration in Nursing research

There are several reasons “why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research”. First, some of these norms promote the aims of research, such as knowledge, truth and avoidance of error. For example, prohibitions against fabricating, falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote the truth and avoid error.

Second, since research often involves a great deal of co- operation and co-ordination among many different people in different disciplines and institutions, many of these ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect and fairness. For example, many ethical norms in research, such as guidelines for authorship, copyright and patenting policies, data sharing policies and confidentiality rules in peer review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests, while encouraging collaboration.

(Ref by-Seenidurai Paulraj/Introduction to Nursing Research/1″/15)

Definition of Ethics:

Ethics are the rules or principles that governs conduct. They deal with what is good and bad with moral duties and obligations. The word ethics is derived from the Greek work “Ethos” which means customs or guiding beliefs. Ethics are characteristics of a profession and are called as a “code”.

(Ref by- Capt. (Retd.) Alphonsa Jacob/Fundamentals of Nursing/Vol-1/6/28) 

Ethics is a term with many meanings. Simply stated ethics is concerned with how people ought to act and how they ought to be in relation with others.

(Ref by- SN. Nanjunde Gowda/2/14)

Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong conduct.

(Ref by-en.wikipedia.org)

Definition

Ethics in nursing research can be defined as the act of moral principles that the researcher has to follow while conducting nursing research to ensure the rights and welfare of individuals, groups, or community under study.

(Ref by- Suresh K. Sharma/ Nursing Research and Statistics/2/48)

Importance of Ethics in Nursing Research

Nursing research usually deals with the human being, where implications of the ethics become very essential. Following are some of the important reasons to support importance of ethics in nursing research:

• Protect the vulnerable group and other study participants from harmful effects of the experimental interventions.
• Safeguard the participants from exploitation by researchers.
• Establish the risk-benefit ratio for the study subjects.
• Ensure the fullest respect, dignity, privacy, disclose of information, and fair treatment for study subjects.
• Build the capability of subjects to accept or reject participation in study and to have access to informed or written consent for participation in research study.

(Ref by- Suresh K. Sharma/ Nursing Research and Statistics/2/48)

Principles of Ethics in Nursing Research

The major ethical principles that should be considered in designing or reviewing the research. studies are beneficence, justice, and respect of human dignity.

Principle of Beneficence

• This is the most important ethical principle in nursing research, where every researcher must ensure the following:
• Establishing the positive risk-benefit ratio, where the risk of the research should never exceed expected benefits for people from knowledge generated by the research activity.
• A potential risk of the research study must be carefully assessed and participants are protected from any harmful effect of research activity.
• In addition to physical harm, study subjects are also protected from expected adverse psychological consequences caused by research study. For example, psychological or emotional distress caused from self-discloser, introspection, fear of the unknown, or interacting with a stranger.
• Research must be conducted by a scientifically qualified expert to avoid undue discomfort or distress to study participants.
• Participants must be provided with maximum physical, psychological, social and religious comfort, and undue disturbance and time utilization of the subjects should be avoided.

Principle of Justice

This ethical principle directs the researchers to abide by the participant’s right of fair treatment and maintenance of privacy. Therefore, researchers must ensure the following:

• The fair and nondiscriminatory selection of the participants, such as any risk and benefits will be equally shared by study participants. Participant’s selection should be based on research requirement and not on convenience, gullibility, or compromised position of certain type of people.
• The non-prejudicial treatment of individual who decline to participate or who withdraw from the study after agreeing to participate.
• Anonymity of participants and confidentiality of information must be maintained.
• No information collected from study participants can be used for other than research purpose,
• The vulnerable subjects, such as children, pregnant women, mentally ill patients, physically disabled, terminally ill, and institutionalized (prisoners) people, who are conveniently and easily accessible must be protected from overuse and undue use for a research purpose.

Principle of Respect of Human Dignity

This principle of the ethics emphasizes on the freedom of choice, where participants have right to accept or reject to be a part of the research study. In addition, volunteers must be provided full information about the research study and an informed consent must be obtained, preferably a written one. Therefore, under this principle, researcher must the following:

• Participants have full right to question the researcher for any additional information clarification of doubts.
• Participants have right to quit from the study at any stage of the research study.
• A fully informed consent must be taken from the participants. In case of the fetus, infants, toddler, younger child, or psychological, neurological or physical inability to give informed consent, this can be obtained from parents or legal guardians. In case, of a child aged between 7 and 18 years, an assent may be obtained.

(Ref by- Suresh K. Sharma/ Nursing Research and Statistics/2/49)

(For SAQ)

Ethics of Research:

• Researcher must maintain scientific objectivity.
• Researcher should guard against causing personal harm to the subject or respondents.
• Researcher should not use unfair means to extract information from the subjects or about the subjects.
• Respondents and subjects are entitled to the right privacy.
• Respondents or subjects should be free to withdraw from the study at any time they like to do so.
• Respondents or subjects should be informed about the nature of research methods that will be used and consequences of the interventions if undertaken.
• Information of confidential nature provided by the respondents must be held confidential.
• Information obtained during a research work should not be used for any other purposes exact research.
• Research findings should be presented honestly without distortions.

(Ref by- Sadeka Tahera Khanom/Research Methodology/2nd/90)

(For EQ)

Codes and Policies for Research Ethics

Given the importance of ethics for the conduct of research, it should come as no surprise that many different professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. Some of them are as follows:

(Ref by- Seenidurai Paulraj/Introduction to Nursing Research/11/15)

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• Research Methodology | Diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery