A Comprehensive Guide to Research Ethics for Postgraduate Students

May 9, 2025 Lecture 12 7 min read

Research Methods

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Understanding Ethics and Research Ethics

Ethics is the study of right and wrong — how we should behave, especially in situations that involve others. In research, ethics becomes a system of principles that guide how we carry out our studies. It’s not only about avoiding dishonesty or misconduct, but about making sure that our work respects the people, communities, and environments involved.

Research ethics specifically focuses on protecting participants, ensuring the integrity of data, and maintaining public trust in research outcomes. It shapes everything from how we design a study to how we report our results.

Types of Ethics

Ethics is generally broken down into three branches:

Meta-Ethics deals with the origin and meaning of ethical concepts (what does “good” really mean?).
Normative Ethics gives us rules and guidelines — telling us what we ought to do in specific situations.
Applied Ethics is where these ideas are used in real-world contexts like medical, business, or engineering research.

So, research ethics would fall under applied ethics, because it takes these general ideas and applies them to academic research.

Why Research Ethics Matter

Ethical research protects the rights and dignity of participants, avoids harm, ensures trust, and upholds academic integrity. It matters because research can affect lives. For example, if a researcher fails to follow ethical protocols in a clinical trial, people might get hurt. If a study is published with false data, it could mislead future research or even influence public policy negatively.

Without ethics, research becomes dangerous, biased, and untrustworthy. Ethics also protect researchers themselves and the institutions they represent from legal or reputational damage.

Scientific Research: Key Features

Ethical scientific research must follow certain key principles. First, it should be universal and objective — that means following clear and replicable procedures. Second, it should maintain scientific rigor, using evidence to back claims. Third, it should be generalizable, meaning the findings should apply beyond the specific study group. And finally, it should be original, with proper referencing and critical thinking behind it.

When Do Ethical Issues Arise in Research?

Ethical problems don’t just pop up during data collection — they can occur at any stage of research:

During the planning phase: Is your topic ethically appropriate? Are the risks considered?
While recruiting participants: Are people informed, and is their consent voluntary?
During data collection: Are participants treated respectfully and safely?
When publishing results: Are the findings reported truthfully and confidentially?
After the study: Are the results shared responsibly? Does the community benefit?

Recognizing this full timeline helps you avoid unethical practices before they happen.

Examples of Unethical Research

Here are some common unethical practices seen in research:

Deception — Lying to participants or hiding the true purpose of the study.
Plagiarism — Copying others’ work without credit.
Fabrication — Making up results or data.
Poor Methodology — Using unclear or unjustified methods that can mislead.
Exploitation — Using vulnerable groups (like children, elderly, or prisoners) without extra care.
Confidentiality Breaches — Sharing personal data without permission.

These mistakes can destroy careers and hurt people involved in the research.

The Three Core Principles of Research Ethics

These principles are foundational in research ethics and must be followed in every study.

Respect means recognizing each participant as an autonomous human being. It includes getting informed consent and making sure people can opt out of research at any time. Respect also applies to communities, academic fields, and funders.
Beneficence requires that the research brings some benefit and does no unnecessary harm. As a researcher, you should always be thinking: “Will this do more good than harm?”
Justice means fairness — especially in how you select participants and share risks and benefits. Vulnerable populations should not carry the burden of risk just for others to benefit.

Clinical research (like drug testing or medical trials) is highly regulated and conducted in four distinct phases, focusing on safety, testing, and final approval. It often involves high-risk factors and must follow strict ethical guidelines due to its physical impact on participants.

Social science research, however, includes interviews, surveys, and observations — more about behavior than biology. Ethical issues here often involve privacy, consent, cultural sensitivity, and power dynamics. While it’s less physically risky, it still requires serious ethical care.

Historical Milestones in Research Ethics

Over time, major global events shaped modern research ethics:

The Nuremberg Code (1947) was created after unethical Nazi experiments. It established voluntary consent as essential.
The Declaration of Helsinki (1964) emphasized that participant welfare must come before scientific gain.
The Belmont Report (1978) came after the Tuskegee Syphilis Study scandal and officially stated the three core ethical principles: respect, beneficence, and justice.

The South African Ethical Framework

In South Africa, ethical research is grounded in the Constitution (1996) and the National Health Act (2003). These documents guarantee:

The right to human dignity and privacy.
The right to refuse or give informed consent.
The right to protection from harmful experimentation.

All medical research must be approved by the Medicines Control Council (MCC) and listed with the South African Trial Register.

Informed consent isn’t just getting a signature. It’s a full process where participants are made aware of what the study is about, what risks are involved, what benefits (if any) they might receive, and their right to say no — both before and during the study.

Consent must be:

Voluntary
Informed
Ongoing
Culturally and linguistically understandable

Participants must never be pressured or misled, and they should be able to ask questions at any time.

Before the study – Researchers must test whether their consent process works in the cultural and social context.
At the start of the study – All details about risks, procedures, and benefits are explained in a way the participant understands.
During the study – Researchers should check in regularly and remind participants of their rights, allowing them to withdraw at any time.

What Do Ethics Committees Look For?

When you submit a research proposal for ethical clearance, review boards or ethics committees evaluate it based on:

Respect and dignity – Are the materials culturally appropriate and accessible?
Privacy and confidentiality – Is participant information protected?
Risk vs. benefit balance – Are risks minimized and benefits explained?
Fair selection – Are participants chosen equitably?
Researcher competence – Do you have the qualifications and supervision needed?
Vulnerable groups – Are additional protections in place for children, elderly, or people with disabilities?
Conflict of interest – Have you disclosed all funding or biases?

Failing to address these areas could mean your proposal gets rejected or delayed.

How to Write an Ethics Proposal

A good ethics proposal should show that you:

Understand and respect participants’ rights.
Can manage and protect data properly.
Have considered all possible risks and planned how to handle them.
Are conducting research that is meaningful and fair.
Have the right qualifications or supervision.
Have made special considerations for anyone who might need more protection.
Are being transparent about who’s funding or supporting your work.