Critical Behavior in Research, Article Critique Example

What ethical issue is at the heart of the article?

Many scholars are concerned that guidelines on ethics need to be more assertive when dealing with human subjects. They are concerned with how some studies may affect a community collectively. For example, they authors discussed the Tuskegee Airmen study that was conducted on African American men and their response to the syphilis virus. They want researchers to understand that just as people have individual morals, communities have morals as well. As a result, many ethical communities are implementing “respect for community” as a requirement for their ethical guidelines (Kaufman & Romararo, 2005). They want certain precautions to be taken to ensure that safeguards are in place to ensure community protection.

Why is this issue important to the conduct of research?

This issue is important because too often poor or uneducated communities are exploited by researchers. One example of exploitation was reported in a study where participants expressed concern with the sensitive nature of the questions they were being asked. To suffice the explanation of, the researchers just increased the compensation (University of Manchester, 2006).Although the information the researchers may be gathering is important, often people are unaware of what rights they have when participating in a study. Also, controversial studies may give the public a negative perspective of certain communities. For example, for a long period of time, African American men became synonymous with the syphilis virus because of the study that was conducted on them. Also, in the article the authors discuss how reporting the prevalence of HIV in communities is often over reported for African American and Hispanics.  If stricter laws were in place to guide research, researchers would be more careful with the way they represent participants in their studies. There has also been a link that supports “Health literacy levels influence health-related encounters of individuals within the health care system and in participation in research studies” (Purdue, 2000). So, it is wise to use educated participants as well as those less educated.

What problems might arise if this issue were not addressed by a researcher?

Often the researcher may have biases that he/she may not be aware of. Knowing that these guidelines exist will ensure that the researcher makes efforts not over or under represent persons from any one race or ethnic group.

How is this issue relevant to researchers in your discipline?

This is particularly important in the medical field, because often diseases are linked to races or ethnicities, which is very misleading. Although being of a certain race may be a marker, it shouldn’t be called a risk factor because that is a negative way to term it. It is just like saying that IV drug users are at risk of becoming infected with AIDS, as well as gay men. For example, “Gay men typically hide their sexuality from their family and friends because of the stigma associated with not being heterosexual and the pressure to conform to heterosexual stereotypes and behaviors” (Putnam, 2005   ). Actually, only the IV drug users who share needles are at risk. Hopefully, more strict guidelines will help to remove negative stigmatism from certain groups of people.

How do researchers in your discipline address this issue?

Often it is wise to have one person collect data such as demographics and have another researcher to analyze the information blindly-not knowing the demographic information about the person. This allows the person to focus just on the information by not allowing any unknown biases to creep up in the reporting of the information. Cummings points out that, “Lesbians, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and other minorities are subject to discrimination and hate crimes” ( Cummings, 2005 ).They participants information can be labeled by identifying numbers or letters that do not give clues as to their gender, race, or any other demographic that may alter the researcher’s concept of them. Once the information has been analyzed the numbers can be matched back to the appropriate person and a demographic break-down can be completed.

What are your thoughts on how this ethical issue might affect your conduct as a researcher?

I know that all people have biases and that it can sometimes be very difficult to separate those biases from our work. As a result, I believe this is a very good way to help researchers stay on track about what is important when collecting information. When keeping these stricter guidelines in mind, each researcher will be reminded, subconsciously, to do the best job that he/she can do.

References

Cummins, S. et al. (2005) Neighborhood environment and its association with self-rated health: evidence from Scotland and England. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health2005, 59, pp. 207-13.

Kaufman, C., & Ramarao, S. (2005). Community confidentiality, consent, and the individual research process: Implications for demographic research. Population Research and Policy Review, 24(2), 149-173. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11113-004-0329-9

London: Simon and Shuster.

Policy Press.

Purdue, D. et al. (2000) Community leadership in area regeneration. Bristol: The

Putnam, D. (2000) Bowling alone: The collapse and revival of American community.

University of Manchester. (2006) Five year report of the national confidentiality inquiry into suicide and homicide by people with mental illness, Avoidable deaths. Manchester: University of Manchester.