Ethical Considerations in Social Science Research: The Belmont Report - Essay Sample

The social science field is associated with numerous researches aimed at making discoveries for solving existing problems. While carrying out these studies, researchers have to observe various ethical stipulations as laid out by the relevant bodies. In this light, the “Belmont Report” dated April 18, 1979, presents the decisions arrived at by the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research. The ideas discussed here primarily include ethical guidelines and principles to be followed when the research in question involves human subjects. They include the boundaries between research and practice, fundamental ethical principles such as respect for persons, beneficence, and justice, as well as applications such as informed consent, risk, and benefit assessment, and subject selection.

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Boundaries

One of the ethical issues is drawing a clear boundary between accepted therapy on the one hand and biomedical and behavioral research on the other. Essentially, when a clinical officer significantly departs from accepted or standard medical practice, it would be termed as research. However, if an activity has not been tested yet and is new, then it is experimental and should not be practiced until duly approved as long as human subjects are involved (World Health Organization, & Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences, 2016). Thus, research and practice should only go together when the said research is aimed at evaluating a therapy’s efficacy (Gabriele, 2003). In this light, any activity should be reviewed for the protection of human rights, provided there is an aspect of research in the activity.

Basic principles

The first basic ethical principle is respect for persons, which require that, first, the human being must be considered an autonomous agent. Secondly, individuals with diminished autonomy must be protected. Another basic principle is beneficence, which states that apart from respecting people’s decisions and offering them protection, they are also treated ethically by working hard to secure their wellbeing. By definition, beneficence refers to charitable acts that supersede strict obligation, while in this document, it encompasses a stronger sense of responsibility.

The two general rules here include not causing harm while maximizing possible benefits to minimize potential damage. In this light, one is not allowed to harm a fellow human being regardless of the possible benefits to others. A third basic principle is justice, which encompasses what is deserved in terms of fairness in distribution (US Department of Health and Human Services, 1979). Its formulations include equal share to everyone according to individual needs, individual effort, societal contribution, and merit.

Applications

The document also focuses on the implementation of the said general principles under such requirements as informed consent, subject selection, as well as risk/benefit assessment. Regarding informed consent, respect for persons demands that in consideration of the subject’s degree of capability, they should be allowed to choose what should happen to them or vice versa (US Department of Health and Human Services, 1979). The subject has a right to know the aim of a research if they are expected to participate in it except in cases where incomplete disclosure is justified by necessity, lack of significant risks involved, and if there is an adequate plan to share the information with them after the research.

The need for comprehension also guides an informed choice since the individual’s ability to understand is critical for them to offer or deny consent. Thus, the information needs to be disseminated to them, in a comprehensible manner that suits each individual’s capability. At the same time, voluntariness is essential as it ensures that the individual does not consent under undue influence or coercion (Gabriele, 2003). Research ethics also requires an assessment of the benefits and risks involved by systematically assessing their nature. It is also necessary to respect people by applying justice in the selection of subjects to be used for the said research.

Ways in which the Ethical Issues are MitigatedThe primary issue of concern regarding human beings and research is respect for persons as it encompasses all their rights. Essentially, it is possible to mitigate the ethical problems by ensuring that the individual’s wellbeing comes first. As much as the research may be necessary for the individual and many others, it should not harm or be inconvenient if possible. The important thing is that the researcher looks beyond the conventional aspects of research when morality and humanity are involved. For example, when conducting fieldwork and a researcher encounters a morally compromising situation, it is likely that they will abandon their role as researchers and handle the situation (Worley, Worley & Wood, 2016). Similarly, when the need arises for research to be conducted, the subject selected must be allowed to give consent voluntarily. Without it, the study can be considered unethical and should not proceed on the same individual.

In summary, various issues arise when human subjects are involved in research, as it may infringe on their rights. Some of these issues include the problem of differentiating between practice and research, which may be a confusing concept as most experiments are of a similar nature. Additionally, beneficence and justice go hand in hand as the individuals deserve to be treated well without harming them and upholding their wellbeing. The issues can be mitigated by applying the set rules, such as through having informed consent based on the subject’s understanding of the concepts involved. Additionally, justice must be served by ensuring that the research subjects get what they deserve without any form of discrimination.

References

Gabriele, E. F. (2003). The Belmont ethos: the meaning of the Belmont Principles for human subject protections. Journal of Research Administration, 34(2), 19-24.

US Department of Health and Human Services. (1979). The Belmont Report: Office of the Secretary, Ethical Principles and Guidelines for the Protection of Human Subjects of Research, the National Commission for the Protection of Human Subjects of Biomedical and Behavioral Research.World Health Organization, & Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences. (2016). International ethical guidelines for health-related research involving humans.

Worley, R. M., Worley, V. B., & Wood, B. A. (2016). ‘There were ethical dilemmas all day long!’: harrowing tales of ethnographic researchers in criminology and criminal justice. Criminal Justice Studies, 29(4), 289-308.