The American Sociological Association Code of Ethics - Essay Example

The researcher must first determine the quality of his or her research, the analysis of professional competence alluded to in principle A of the code of ethics (ASA, 2008). Releasing information about alcohol consumption on campus, information that could lead to difficulty with staff members, and policy changes on campus are only indicated if the researcher believes that the research shows a problem. Many factors can affect the results of a research project, especially one that relies on participant involvement in a survey. The researcher in this situation must be completely confident in the correctness of the results and his or her competence to analyze them.

The researcher in this situation must also look at the effect on their professional integrity. If the findings are buried, there is a risk of another researcher discovering the same data and it becomes obvious that the first researcher obtained the same results. The original researcher could lose respect in the scientific community for this behavior, as this would be a violation of principle C of the code of ethics referring to professional responsibility (ASA, 2008). Conversely, however, creating a fuss about the results when others may not have felt it was serious could affect the researcher's professional standing as well.
Do the students living in the dorms have a right to privacy in this case? The participants in the study might not have answered the questions on alcohol consumption if they thought it would lead to problems in the future. The researcher in this case must examine the rights of the student participants to see if their right to privacy outweighs the risks of the over-use of alcohol in the dorm, indicated by principle D of the code of ethics states that the researcher must maintain the utmost respect for his subjects' rights (ASA, 2008).

Finally, the researcher has a social responsibility to those students. The risks of alcohol consumption are many, which is why the college may have set rules on the amount of alcohol in the dorms in the first place. Social responsibility, principle E in the code of ethics, refers to the responsibility of the researcher to uphold the safety of the community in which they live and work (ASA, 2008). In the end, this social responsibility overwhelms the other considerations. The researcher has the responsibility to reveal the findings for the future safety of the students.
SCENARIO TWO
In this case, the ethical considerations are the integrity of the researchers and the rights of the student participants. Additionally, the ethical considerations in this case also bring out the possibility of erroneous data.

Leading the students to think that the survey is required is a violation of the integrity of the researchers. The sociological researcher is not supposed to make statements that intentionally mislead the subject of the research, as stated in principle B of the code of ethics (ASA, 2008). While the survey does not explicitly say that filling it out is mandatory, leaving it in a packet of other required paperwork leads the students to believe this. This behavior certainly does not engender trust and confidence in the researcher, which is how the code of ethics says the researcher is to behave, but instead may make students resent the additional paperwork and the perceived invasion of their privacy (ASA, 2008).

Additionally, there are also the rights of the students to consider, as principle D of the code of ethics points out (ASA, 2008). The researcher is required to respect the rights of the participants of the study, in this case, the new students. The survey may ask for data that the school is not allowed to compel the students to give. By making the survey seem mandatory, their right to privacy is violated.
Finally, the ethical issues here could lead to problems with the final data from the survey and could affect the quality of the results. If the students feel obligated to give the information on the survey, but are not comfortable doing so, they may give incorrect or incomplete answers. The inclusion of the survey in their other paperwork may make students doubt the anonymity of their answers and cause further pollution of the data.
Clearly, including the survey in the admissions packet in this way is a violation of the code of ethics. Read More