Explain the ethical principles that guide social research and apply them when investigating people and communities.

What this dot point is asking

You must explain why ethics matter, describe the key ethical principles, and apply them to researching people and communities, including sensitive topics.

Why ethics matter

Social research studies real people, so it carries responsibilities that go beyond gathering data. Poorly conducted research can embarrass, distress, expose or mislead participants, and it can damage trust between researchers and communities. Ethics protect participants and also protect the credibility of the findings: research that mistreats people or distorts results is not trustworthy. For these reasons, ethical conduct is treated as a fundamental part of doing social inquiry properly, not an afterthought.

Key ethical principles

A set of core principles guides ethical social research.

• Informed consent: participants understand what the research involves and freely agree to take part.
• Voluntary participation: no one is pressured to participate, and everyone can withdraw at any time.
• Confidentiality and privacy: participants' identities and personal information are protected, and data is stored securely.
• Avoiding harm: the research must not cause physical, emotional, social or reputational harm.
• Honesty and integrity: the researcher reports findings truthfully and does not fabricate or distort data.

These principles apply at every stage, from designing questions to reporting results.

Vulnerable participants and sensitive topics

Extra care is needed when research involves vulnerable people, such as children, or when it touches sensitive topics such as trauma, illness, discrimination or family conflict. Vulnerable participants may need additional protections, such as parental consent for minors. Sensitive topics require careful question wording, support for participants who become distressed, and an honest judgement about whether the research is appropriate at all. Researching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities requires particular respect, including appropriate consultation and protocols.

Avoiding bias and respecting participants

Ethical research also means treating participants and their views with respect, representing them fairly, and not manipulating questions to produce a desired answer. Leading questions, selective reporting and misrepresenting what people said are ethical failures as well as methodological ones. The researcher should approach participants as people whose perspectives matter, not just as sources of data, and should give back to communities where appropriate.

Applying ethics in your inquiry

In the folio, group activity and external investigation, apply these principles concretely. Explain the purpose to participants and obtain genuine consent. Keep responses anonymous or confidential and store data securely. Choose topics and questions you can handle responsibly, avoiding ones likely to distress people without good reason. If your group activity involves a social action in the community, consider the impact on the people involved. Being able to describe and justify your ethical decisions is part of demonstrating good social inquiry.

Connection to the rest of the course

This dot point sits alongside research methods within the social inquiry process; choosing a method and choosing how to do it ethically go together. It connects to the external investigation and group activity, where you conduct your own research with real people. Sound ethics underpin the credibility of every piece of evidence you gather and are explicitly valued in the way the subject assesses social inquiry.