Second Language Research Chapter 2

By Abolfazl Ghanbari

AimEthical Issues in Research Involving Human Subjects

Ethical Issues in Research Involving Human Subjects

Informed consent requires that human subjects, to the degree that they are capable, be provided with the opportunity to choose what shall or shall not happen to them (Belmont, 1979).

Consent implies voluntary agreement to participate in a study where potential participant has enough information and understands enough to make an informed decision.

Obtaining Informed Consent from SLLs

Sufficient information

Is Withholding Information Ever Necessary?

Participant Comprehension in Informed Consent

Voluntary Participation and Informed Consent

Sufficient information

Participants should receive information that describes the: procedures and purposes of the research as well as the potential risks and benefits such as the method by which participants will be assigned to any groups in the study (e.g. treatment group or control group).

Is withholding information ever necessary?

In general, researchers are advised to provide as much information as possible to participants because failure to disclose information may constitute deception.

If the researcher is studying a teacher’s use of questions in the L2 classroom, informing the teacher about the goals of the research may bias his or her use of questions and thus lead to an unrepresentative sample of data. In this case, withholding information may be acceptable.

Is withholding information ever necessary?

But, three conditions need to be met: Incomplete disclosure is essential to the aims of the research No risks are undisclosed All participants will be given an opportunity to be debriefed

after the study.

Participants comprehension in informed consent

Researchers are responsible for ensuring participants’ understanding The way in which information is conveyed might be as important as the information itself . This implies:

1. That the potential participants have the opportunity to discuss concerns and get any questions answered

2. The informed consent document is given to them in a language that is understandable for them, respecting factors such as learners’ ages and reading levels, educational background, mental capacity, and language proficiency (Belmont report, 1979).

Voluntary participation and informed consent

Invitation to participate in research must involve neither threats

of harm nor offers of inappropriate rewards. Undue influence

may be exercised, even unwittingly, where persons of authority

urge or suggest a particular course of action.