ABSTRACT
All project researchers should, if they want to be taken seriously, carry out their research in both a methodologically and ethically sound manner. Among the questions a project researcher needs to answer are: How does one choose, plan, execute and complete a research project? How does one identify the ethical risks at stake and avoid the pitfalls that might befall the researcher, the research team, the research organisation, society and even future generations? This chapter shows how such questions can be approached by taking a look at project management research through four methodological dimensions: the subjective/qualitative dimension, the subjective/quantitative dimension, the objective/qualitative dimension and the objective/quantitative dimension. In each dimension, typical ethical considerations for that dimension are discussed. Five classical ethical approaches are also introduced that should help project researchers to identify ethical risks and make morally sound decisions. The method demands ethical thinking, urges ethical awareness and encourages project researchers to develop their own approach to investigating project, programme and portfolio management realities.
