Another example of unethical research is the

Another example of unethical research is the experiment conducted between 1950 and 1952. More than
1,000 pregnant women were given diethylstilbestrol to prevent miscarriages. These women were subject to a
double-blind study without consent. Only 20 years later, when the children of these women had high rates of
cancer and other abnormalities, did the participants learn they were subjects of these experiments (Capron,
1989).
The nature of ethical problems in qualitative research studies is subtle and different from quantitative
research problems. For example, potential ethical conflicts exist concerning how a researcher gains access to a
community group and the effects the researcher may have on participants. The literature provides few examples
of ethical issues in qualitative health research. Punch (1994) claimed that one hardly ever hears of ethical
failures in qualitative research. However, Batchelor and Briggs (1994) contended that researchers' failure to
address ethical issues has resulted in those researchers being ill-prepared to cope with qualitative research's
unpredictable nature.
Qualitative researchers focus their research on exploring, examining, and describing people and their
natural environments. Embedded in qualitative research are the concepts of relationships a. power between
researchers and participants. The desire to participate in a research study depends on a participant's willingness
to share their own experience. Nurse researchers have to balance research principles and the well-being of
clients (Ramos, 1989). Qualitative health research is focused on the experiences of people concerning health
and illness. Yet, nurse researchers may find that their roles as researchers and as clinicians may be in conflict.
Qualitative studies are frequently conducted in settings involving the participation of people in their everyday
environments. Therefore, any research that includes people requires an awareness of the ethical issues derived
from such interactions. Ethics in health research include the appropriateness of the research design, the
methodological design, the funding sources, and the behaviors in reporting data. The purpose of this paper is to
show these and related ethical issues and principles to be used in qualitative research (Orb, 2000).
Source: Ethics in Qualitative Research by A. Orb, L. Eisenhauer,and D. Wynaden (2000)
GUIDE QUESTIONS
1. Based on the article, how will you define ethics in research?
2. Are the Tuskegee syphilis study and diethylstilbestrol study on pregnant women unethical? Why?
3. Suppose you were a part of the research teams who conducted the research studies. What will you do
to correct the unethical aspect of the experiments?

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References
Alcantara, A., and F. Espina. Technical Writing for Filipino Students. Philippines: Katha Publishing.