Working Paper: NBER ID: w28393
Authors: Edward Asiedu; Dean Karlan; Monica P. Lambon-Quaye; Christopher R. Udry
Abstract: Ethics in social science experimentation and data collection are often discussed but rarely articulated in writing as part of research outputs. Although papers typically reference human subjects research approvals from relevant institutional review boards, most recognize that such boards do not carry out comprehensive ethical assessments. We propose a structured ethics appendix to provide details on the following: policy equipoise, role of the researcher, potential harms to participants and nonparticipants, conflicts of interest, intellectual freedom, feedback to participants, and foreseeable misuse of research results. We discuss each of these, and some of the norms and challenging situations of each. We believe that discussing such issues explicitly in appendices of papers, even if briefly, will serve two purposes: more complete communication of ethics can improve discussions of papers and can clarify and improve the norms themselves.
Keywords: Ethics; Social Science; Research Practices; Data Collection; Ethical Considerations
JEL Codes: C81; C83; C9; J01; O12
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| structured ethics appendix (Y20) | improved communication of ethical issues (M14) |
| improved communication of ethical issues (M14) | enhanced quality of social science research (C90) |
| ethical research design (C90) | positive outcomes for participants (I24) |
| ethical oversight (A13) | mitigate risks associated with research interventions (C90) |
| researchers' active involvement (C90) | raise ethical concerns (A13) |