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Social Science Gets the Ethics Treatment: Research governance and ethical review

Author

Listed:
  • Julie Kent
  • Emma Williamson
  • Trudy Goodenough
  • Richard Ashcroft

Abstract

The paper examines the current provision for ethical review within the social sciences and considers how existent structures could be improved to protect human research subjects in accordance with international guidelines and regulation. This paper examines the current regulation of social science in the form of professional guidelines, peer review, funding application procedures and steering/advisory groups, and compares these processes with the independent ethical review currently required for health research. This paper also addresses the concepts of ‘risk’ and regulation by comparing the provision of review processes for health and non-health based research. The authors question the distinctions made between different types of medical research which represent epidemiological research, for example, as non-intrusive thus creating a hierarchy of research which results in social science researchers slipping through the ethical review net.

Suggested Citation

  • Julie Kent & Emma Williamson & Trudy Goodenough & Richard Ashcroft, 2002. "Social Science Gets the Ethics Treatment: Research governance and ethical review," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 7(4), pages 1-15, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:socres:v:7:y:2002:i:4:p:1-15
    DOI: 10.5153/sro.755
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ringheim, Karin, 1995. "Ethical issues in social science research with special reference to sexual behaviour research," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 40(12), pages 1691-1697, June.
    2. Ross Coomber, 2002. "Signing your life away?: Why Research Ethics Committees (REC) shouldn't always require written confirmation that participants in research have been informed of the aims of a study and their rights - t," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 7(1), pages 218-221, March.
    3. Ashcroft, Richard, 2002. "Commentary: Biomedical research, trade policy and international health: beyond medical ethics," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 54(7), pages 1143-1144, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Kate Reed, 2010. "The Spectre of Research Ethics and Governance and the ESRC's 2010 FRE: Nowhere Left to Hide?," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 15(4), pages 120-122, November.
    2. Julia Downes & Liz Kelly & Nicole Westmarland, 2014. "Ethics in Violence and Abuse Research - a Positive Empowerment Approach," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 19(1), pages 29-41, February.
    3. Smith, Shirley M. & Shepherd, Derek D. & Dorward, Peter T., 2012. "Perspectives on community representation within the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative: Experiences from south-east Madagascar," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 241-250.
    4. Kate Reed, 2007. "Bureaucracy and Beyond: The Impact of Ethics and Governance Procedures on Health Research in the Social Sciences," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 12(5), pages 80-84, September.
    5. Smith, Shirley M. & Dorward, Peter T., 2014. "Nationalised large-scale mining, trade unions and community representation: Perspectives from Northern Madagascar," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 31-41.
    6. Hélder Raposo & Sara Melo & Catarina Egreja, 2022. "Data Protection in Sociological Health Research: A Critical Narrative about the Challenges of a New Regulatory Landscape," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 27(4), pages 1060-1076, December.
    7. Rose Wiles & Amanda Coffey & Judy Robison & Jon Prosser, 2012. "Ethical Regulation and Visual Methods: Making Visual Research Impossible or Developing Good Practice?," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 17(1), pages 3-12, February.
    8. Liz Stanley & Sue Wise, 2010. "The ESRC's 2010 Framework for Research Ethics: Fit for Research Purpose?," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 15(4), pages 106-115, November.
    9. Virginia Mapedzahama & Tinashe Dune, 2017. "A Clash of Paradigms? Ethnography and Ethics Approval," SAGE Open, , vol. 7(1), pages 21582440176, March.
    10. Margaret Melrose, 2011. "Regulating Social Research: Exploring the Implications of Extending Ethical Review Procedures in Social Research," Sociological Research Online, , vol. 16(2), pages 49-58, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Ethics; Regulation; Research; Review; Risk;
    All these keywords.

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