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Importance of research ethics in psychology
Development of research ethics
Development of research ethics
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Positivism vs. Realism vs. Interpretivism Research Philosophy
The belief about the way in which data about a phenomenon should be gathered, analyzed and used is known as Research Philosophy. In Positivism approach, reality and data is observed from an objective viewpoint. Mostly data is collected through observations. Using previously developed realities/theory we make new predictions which lead to generation of credible data. On the other hand, Ineterpretivism focuses on subjective interpretation of knowledge. In this approach rich data is collected which aims to increase the general understanding of the situation to induce different ideas.
Realism is similar to Positivist paradigm in a way that is emphasise on a scientific approach to the development of knowledge in a particular
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The research approach employed in Qualitative is inductive whereas Quantitative has a deductive approach. The Quantitative research is more about cause and effect relationship between the variables whereas Qualitative research is based on meaning and discovery of knowledge. The focus of Quantitative research is narrow and concise whereas the focus of Qualitative research is broad and complex. (Allwood, 2011)
Why ethics are important while carrying a research survey?
Adhering to ethical standards/norms in research promote the true aims of research which are knowledge which adds value to the relevant field/subject. Besides that it helps in avoidance of errors. Since research often requires a great deal of cooperation and coordination among many different people in different disciplines and institutions, ethical standards promote the values that are vital and helpful in collaborative work, such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness.
Why it is important to decide and select an appropriate research methodology for conducting a well-designed research
Realism claims that what we can review about our surrounding is established in the fact that they absolutely exist. What we believe about gathered information is what we think about the actual world. It states that there is an actual world that assimilates directly with what we think about it.
What is the good? How do we know what the good is? How do we attain the good? What are the major obstacles in attaining the good? These questions have a great practical importance for individual as well as collective life. However, disagreements emerge when it comes to answering these questions. Throughout history, philosophers, theologians and other thinkers have tried to resolve these disagreements by providing their own and ‘new’ understanding of what is Good? In this essay, I will explain how Aristotle and Augustine have understood this ideal and how they have answered these questions. In the first two parts of the essay I will look into the conceptual framework of these two philosophers and try to explain how they have answered the above mentioned questions. In the last part, I will try to answer this question: which of the two philosophers I agree with and why?
Qualitative research aims to gather information from data collection methods and transform it into written words. Such as transcribing recorded interviews, taking field notes from observations, using words to outline images (Denscombe, 1998, p. 174). On the other hand, quantitative research aims to gather information from data collection methods and transform it into numbers. Such as analysing conducted surveys and pulling numbers to transform it into statistics, tables and graphs (Denscombe, 1998, p.174-177).
Research can be quantitative and qualitative. Quantitative research is objective and involves measuring the phenomena under investigation. Qualitative research is subjective, explores experiences and feelings, and involves the recording of phenomena that cannot easily be quantified (Toates, 2010, pp. 5-6). Both are empirical since they involve data collection (OU, n.d.).
According to Smith (1983) quantitative research is to explain, predict and develop laws that can be universally applied and Qualitative research is the interpretation and understanding of what people give to their situation. The researchers clearly stated the purpose of their studies, aim, objectiv...
First, it depends on quantitative methods to understand the world. Quantitative tools are insufficient in understanding complex social phenomena, especially human systems and behaviours. Second, positivism demands researcher objectivity. Researchers cannot be completely objective because they have social, economic, political and cultural biases that can influence their choice of questions and data-collection methods as well as their analysis and recommendations. Third, positivism believes in the notion of a grand narrative apart from controlling and predicting reality. Social problems are too dynamic to be boxed in simple generalisations. Moreover, researchers cannot control human actions; they can only try to influence them if they know the latter’s innermost motivations and goals in
Quantitative research may be seen as the less contentious of the two because it is more closely aligned with what is viewed as the classical scientific paradigm. Quantitative research involves gathering data that is absolute, for example numerical data so that it can be examined as unbiased as possible. The main idea behind quantitative research is that it is able to separate things easily so that they can be counted. The researcher generally has a clear idea of what is being measured before they start measuring it, and their study is set up with controls. Qualitative research on the other hand is a more subjective form of research, in which the research allows themselves to introduce their own bias to help form a more complete picture. Qualitative research may be necessary in situations where it is unclear of what is exactly being looked for in a study, while quantitative research generally knows exactly what it is looking for. Questionnaires and surveys are quantitative socio-legal research, because it is the collection of numerical data, or data that can be easily being turned into a numerical form. In terms of analysing quantitative data, Excel is the b...
Ethics refers to a system of principles that relates to considerations about choices and actions (Fouka & Mantzorou, 2011). It boils down to the dynamics of decision making concerning what is considered right and wrong. Ethics plays an important role in regulating and guiding human behaviour in different social settings. It is also especially relevant and applicable within the field of research. Therefore, it is important to ensure that we protect the dignity and rights of participants (McMillan & Schumacher, 2001). For the purpose of this study, we adhered to the following ethical principles as specified in the Ethics and Research Policy of the Faculty of Education at the University of Pretoria (2014).
Positivists is believe that reality is constant and observable and describable from an objective viewpoint (Levin, 1988), i.e. Study of phenomena without interfered. Positivists should repeat the isolated phenomenon and observations. This frequently includes control of reality with varieties in just a solitary autonomous variable in order to distinguish regularities in, and to frame connections between, percentage of the constituent components of the social world. (dissertation.lib, 2015)
Positivism is a research method that developed from the behavioral revolution, which sought to combine positivism and empiricism to politics (Halperin and Heath, 2012: 27). This research approach is governed by natural law to observe, understand and to find meaning in the empirical world. A positivist would investigate empirical questions that assume how the world works through the accuracy of a probable truth (Gerring, 2001: 155). This type of research seeks to answer two empirical questions, such as “what is out there” and “what do we call it” (Gerring, 2001: 156).
We believe it is clear that both qualitative and quantitative research have many benefits and many costs. In some situations the qualitative approach will be more appropriate; in other situations the quantitative approach will be more appropriate.
Conceptual relativism is concerned with truth and knowledge and belongs specifically with the ability of the human mind to construct different realities, people have different versions of realities but there is no one reality as is the same with truth there is no one absolute truth there are only truths. (Lazar 1998)Many authors have described the nature of this in their own languages and this has bought about many different views of conceptual relativism. It was Daniel Little’s belief that conceptual relativism was concerned with the fact that as the world is separated into so many different countries, cultures, religions and beliefs. It would not be possible to only have one theory on the structure of everything inside the world, for all individuals think differently, how can one theory be more plausible than another. (Lazar 1998) Peter Winch had a more radical view and argued that Science had absolutely nothing to do with explanations on what existed. He stated that human beings are more than just physical objects and that if human action was not being understood from the inside, how could the social sciences understand human action at all. He went on to say that the majority of sociology was not in fact a science it was a masked type of philosophy. Winch’s claims against the social sciences caused problems and some ethnomethodological sociologists changed the way they studied society and developed a non scientific route. (Lock 2010)However rationalists such as Popper reject the idea of relativism as he believed that unless all individuals shared the same framework of basic knowledge, there could never be agreements made. (Benton 2001)
Code of ethics serves as the moral compass that directs and guides the integrity, values, and beliefs of an organization. A code of ethics clarifies to employees what the company stands for and its expectations for employee conduct (Daft, 2013). A well-written code is a true commitment to responsible business practices in that it outlines specific procedures to handle ethical failures. Within the research enterprise, the code of ethics ensures that research projects involving human subjects are carried out without causing harm to the subjects involved. Research ethics also ensure researchers conduct research in an ethical manner. This paper will focus on the regulations and guidelines that govern ethics in research, a study where research ethics were violated and recommendations to improve ethics within the research enterprise.
Research ethics provides guidelines for the responsible conduct of biomedical research, qualitative research scientific research ,health care research or any other researches. In addition, research ethics educates and monitors scientists conducting research to ensure a high ethical standard. It involves the application of fundamental ethical principles to a variety of topics involving research, including scientific research .Ethics are important in research as they provide researchers with guidelines of avoiding plagiarism, and how to list authors that a researcher would have used and they allow for the sharing of data and they protect and minimize human risk for participants involved in research and they protect and respect human rights in
Positivism is a research method that developed from the behavioral revolution, which sought to combine positivism and empiricism to politics (Halperin and Heath, 2012: 27). That is to say, this research approach is governed by natural law to observe, understand and to find meaning in the empirical world. This type of research seeks to answer two empirical questions, such as ‘what is out there’ and ‘what do we call it’ (Gerring, 2001: 156). Positivism is only interested in phenomenons that can be observed through our senses. Thus, positivism is interested in social realities that can be observed and measured by the scientific method (Halperin and Heath, 2012: 29). Furthermore, positivism believes that the gathering of evidence through scientific method can create knowledge and laws, known as induction (Halperin and Heath, 2012: 27). That is to say, evidence can be verified and later generalized then applied to multiple contexts. A positivist would investigate empirical questions that assume how the world works through the accuracy of a probable truth (Gerring, 2001: 155).