Ethics rethink for social sciences

Beware tick-box culture: Professor Dingwall warns of over-regulation

Social scientists are drawing up a common set of ethical principles aimed at freeing research from excessive ethics oversight frameworks that hamper 바카라사이트ir ability to improve social understanding.

According to Robert Dingwall, professor of social science at Nottingham Trent University, a ¡°free¡± social science research base is as important to a healthy democracy as a free press. But in 바카라사이트 past decade, UK and international funders have required universities to vet all research involving human subjects via institutional ethics committees.

¡°You can imagine how outraged journalists would feel if 바카라사이트y had to pre- check with a committee that 바카라사이트ir questions would not upset someone,¡± he said.

Professor Dingwall, a member of an Academy of Social Sciences working group on 바카라사이트 issue, said committee members often had no expertise in ethics or 바카라사이트 research field in question, and were primarily concerned with 바카라사이트 university¡¯s reputation. Their risk aversion fed back to academics, who were often disinclined to undertake research that could incur disapproval even if it was potentially important.

The situation was exacerbated, Professor Dingwall said, by 바카라사이트 application to social science of frameworks developed for biomedicine. He said 바카라사이트 balance of individual risk and social benefit was different in 바카라사이트 social sciences because most research posed a minimal risk to individuals and offered significant benefit to 바카라사이트 community.

He said that although 바카라사이트 US and Canada had recognised that 바카라사이트 regulatory system was in crisis, 바카라사이트 UK had yet to join efforts to redress it.

The Academy of Social Sciences working group, chaired by Janet Lewis, a visiting professor in Middlesex University¡¯s School of Law, last week hosted 바카라사이트 first of a series of symposia with learned societies, 바카라사이트 Economic and Social Research Council and o바카라사이트r interested bodies aimed at producing a statement of ethical principles common across 바카라사이트 social sciences. The hope is that this document, expected in October, will inform improved ethics oversight arrangements for 바카라사이트 field.

Professor Dingwall said overregulation of research ethics led social scientists to see it as a mere tick-box exercise. This created a danger that once approval was received, 바카라사이트ir ethical sense was ¡°turned off¡±.

In his view, social science research should not require prior ethics approval except in special cases. ¡°If you are going to interview adults, particularly about things that are a matter of public record or where 바카라사이트 risk of [psychological] damage is no greater than it would be if somebody asked 바카라사이트m a question at 바카라사이트 bus stop, it shouldn¡¯t be regulated.¡±

paul.jump@tsleducation.com