Principles for ethical research involving humans: ethical professional practice in impact assessment Part I

Abstract

Drawing on various national statements on the ethical conduct of research, the codes of ethics of professional associations and international agencies, and ethical guidelines in social research methods textbooks, this paper identifies current principles for ethical research involving humans and discusses their implications for impact assessment practice generally and social impact assessment specifically. The identified ethical principles include: respect for participants, informed consent, specific permission required for audio or video recording, voluntary participation and no coercion, participant right to withdraw, full disclosure of funding sources, no harm to participants, avoidance of undue intrusion, no use of deception, the presumption and preservation of anonymity, participant right to check and modify a transcript, confidentiality of personal matters, data protection, enabling participation, ethical governance, provision of grievance procedures, appropriateness of research methodology, and full reporting of methods. Topics such as a conflict of interest, moral hazard and duty of care are also considered. Also discussed are Indigenous peoples’ rights and their implications for ethical impact assessment processes.