Anthropology Paper on Common rule regarding research
When referring to ethical conduct in conducting research, it refers to a set of guidelines that distinguishes right from bad. Researchers conduct their study on live human beings who have their rights that need to be maintained at a particular level so as not to deprive individuals by infringing on their rights for purposes of research. One thing to be put into consideration is that the subject under research has to agree to participate in the research program. In addition, there is need to clarify a boundary where the state of health or any form of conduct does not present a problem to the subject.
Based on the information regarding the research conducted in the Guatemala Syphilis experiment, people were used as life subjects being infected with syphilis without their consent (Reverby 2107). In reference to the ethical code of conducting professional research, it is a violation of the researcher not to seek permission from the participants. Institutions such as Institutional Review Boards and Review Ethics Board can enforce a set of common rules regarding research through the provision of a checklist containing various components, which should be filed and presented to the board before embarking on any research. The checklist should contain various regulations that the researcher should full fill including getting permission from the research subjects. It should also set a clear guideline of how the researcher should minimize harm and maximize the benefits at the same time treating everyone with self-esteem.
All activities, data, or approaches conducted by the researcher should be based on that case of study (Reverby 2107). Any other activities outside this bracket infringe on the privacy of individuals, which is termed unethical. The freedom that the researchers are provided with should be put in a check to ensure that the subject is well protected. In most cases, the researchers try to exploit their subjects and as a result break the trust given to them.
There are regulations that should be enforced to prevent the abuse of research subjects and in the process ensure the research brings out the positive benefits. Such regulations include confidentiality. Confidentiality is based upon the research subject and the researcher. The researcher is obligated to maintain the privacy of any data collected for research and prevent any form of exposure to other non-relevant persons.
Legal obligations are also another regulation that helps protect research subjects. The subject has a right to either agree or decline being used as a subject in conducting a research. As such, the law protects the ethical standards used in conducting research in reference to a human being. The law offers insurance against the researcher conducting research without obtaining consent from the subject.
The integrity of cultural perspective ensures that the researcher is not biased in conducting their research secluding one group because of cultural differences. A quality research that is meant to bring positive change for the larger society should not be conducted in a biased setting. There is need to respect the different cultural beliefs and practices of the research subjects and separate this entirely from the research.
In conclusion, ethics guide researchers on an appropriate way of carrying out research without interfering with the state of the research subject. Thus, there is need to maintain honesty and integrity between the researcher and the research subject in order to achieve quality results without altering the rights of individuals.
Works Cited
DiPersio, Denise. “Linguistic Fieldwork and IRB Human Subjects Protocols.” Language and Linguistics Compass 8.11 (2014): 505-511.
Reverby, Susan M. “Ethical failures, and history lessons: the US Public Health Service research studies in Tuskegee and Guatemala.” Public Health Reviews 34.1 (2012): 2107-6952.