ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the responsibilities researchers and others have for ensuring the ethical conduct of research and reviews the guidelines for conducting ethical research. It first discusses those guidelines in terms of three phases of a research project. Research planning entails considering risk of harm or deprivation, voluntary participation, informed consent, and the use of deception. During data collection, one must avoid harm and honor participants’ requests to withdraw from the research. Following data collection, the researcher must alleviate any harmful effects, debrief participants, compensate control group members, and maintain data confidentiality. The chapter next describes the role of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and concludes with a discussion of research ethics in cultural context.
