Summary

Research is serious business. Not only must the conduct of research be undertaken in a manner such that it abides by society’s ethical standards, researchers must personally have a strong set of moral standards. Researchers must ensure that their participants (human and animal) are treated ethically, and that, in the case of human participants, their confidentiality is maintained. They must also apply ethical principles in the design of their studies, as well as the collection, analysis and presentation of the data. Overall, an ethic of research involving both human and animal participants should include two essential components: 1) the selection and achievement of morally acceptable ends, and; 2) morally acceptable means to the ends. The first component is directed at defining acceptable ends in terms of the benefits of the research for a given set of participants, for associate groups, and for the purposes of advancing knowledge. The second component is directed at ethically appropriate means of conducting research.