Which guideline is included in the American sociological Associations Code of Ethics for conducting research?

Rules are made to be broken...well, not according to the American Sociological Association.

Imagine if researchers had no limits to how they could carry out their sociological research. We'd live very differently, maybe in fear of being randomly pranked or experimented on in the name of academia!

Luckily, there are rules in place to prevent this. Here, we'll be learning more about these rules dictated by the American Sociological Association.

• First, we'll start with an overview of the American Sociological Association and what it does.
• We'll then look at the purpose of the American Sociological Association.
• We'll go over its key principles and consider what they mean.

American Sociological Association: An Overview

The American Sociological Association (ASA), founded in 1905 at Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, is a professional organization and society for the discipline of sociology. As well as sociologists, it is also for those interested in sociology, including students and those working in relevant fields.

The ASA works through membership and provides several benefits to its members, including access to the latest developments in sociology, professional development, networking, and the opportunity to apply sociological research in the real world. Members can access exclusive resources to support their work or studies.

Each year the ASA holds an Annual Meeting as a chance for sociologists to share their knowledge and practical applications of sociology. Themes are chosen for each Annual Meeting, with the 2023 theme as 'The Educative Power of Sociology.'

Purpose of the American Sociological Association

In its own words:

ASA's mission is to serve sociologists in their work, advance sociology as a science and profession, and promote the contributions and use of sociology to society."1

There are several ways in which the ASA does this, including:

• Hosting Annual Meetings

• Publishing journals

• Advocacy for public policy on key issues

A key purpose of the ASA is to ensure sociological research is conducted ensuring the well-being of participants. Let's move on to consider the principles of the ASA.

American Sociological Association: Sections of the Code of Ethics

The ASA has various sections in the Code of Ethics, originally published in 1971. The Code puts forward formal guidelines for sociological research and outlines scientific, professional, and ethical standards that all sociologists must adhere to. They are enforceable by the ASA.

The first section outlines the general principles of the Code, which we will explore below. The second section outlines the nineteen ethical standards that sociologists must adhere to (but don't worry, we won't go through them all).

While not all nineteen ethical standards are relevant to this article, it may be worth knowing that they cover not only sociologists' activities during research, but also academic regulations such as plagiarism, the publication process, and reporting others' ethical violations.

The Six Principles of the ASA's Code of Ethics

The six general principles of the ASA are outlined in the Code of Ethics as follows:

1. Professional Competence

Sociologists should only undertake work in which they have experience and expertise. They should use the appropriate resources to ensure a high level of competence; resources can include academic materials and consults with relevant professionals.

2. Integrity

Sociologists have to act with integrity in their activities; they should be fair, honest, and respectful of others and should not compromise anyone's professional welfare. They must not knowingly make deceptive, misleading, or false statements.

3. Professional and Scientific Responsibility

Sociologists must show respect for others despite differences in professional opinions. They should strive for high professional and scientific standards and take responsibility for their work. In addition, they should prevent or report unethical conduct where necessary and appropriate.

All people must be respected by sociologists regardless of background and/or social group. Sociologists should not discriminate in any form and should strive to remove bias in their research. If presented with differences in culture or individual characteristics, sociologists should be sensitive to these.

5. Social Responsibility

Sociologists should aim to advance sociology and contribute to the public. However, they should be aware of issues that harm certain people, communities, or groups.

6. Human Rights

Sociologists must behave in a manner in which everyone's human rights are promoted. In addition, they should use their profession to advance global human rights.

American Sociological Association's Code of Ethics: What are Some Ethical Standards?

As well as the general principles, the Code of Ethics outlines nineteen ethical standards for behavior. It wouldn't be a good use of time to go through all of them, so we'll look at some key ones.

Informed Consent to Sociological Research

Human subjects must be informed that they will be participants in sociological research. They should be told about the nature of the research, including anything that may affect their ability to participate.

An important consideration is that informed consent is ongoing - participants should be informed of their right to withdraw at any stage of the research process.

There are some exceptions to this rule, for example, if research can't be carried out properly if the participants give informed consent. However, the exceptions are stringent.

Imagine that a sociologist is surveying members of the public. It would be unethical for the sociologist to mislead or lie about what they're actually researching, as they haven't given their informed consent to the 'real' research topic.

The Use of Deception

The above example is a form of deception; however, deception can also include failure to disclose any or all relevant information concerning the research. Deception can be used in the following (limited) circumstances:

• if the research only presents minimal risk(s) to the participants

• if deception is justified and necessary for the research

• if alternatives to deception are not appropriate or suitable

• lastly, if permission has been obtained by an authoritative body that has expertise on social science ethics

Prevention of Personal Harm to Participants

Sociologists must keep in mind the emotional, physical, and psychological well-being of their participants at all times during the research. If a participant is harmed or is at risk of being harmed or endangered in any way, research should be stopped immediately.

During a study on a sensitive topic, if a participant is recalling a traumatic experience and seems to be under severe emotional distress, the sociologist should protect them and end their involvement.

Fig. 2 - Sociologists should always keep the wellbeing of the participants in mind.

Confidentiality of Participants

Sociologists should adhere to the confidentiality of participants; the information should not be available to the public where it publicly identifies a person. This includes not only their identity but extends to sensitive information collected in research.

This is even more important if the release of confidential information may harm the participant(s) concerned.

Researchers cannot publish the names of gang members or subcultures that they study, due to the potential harm it may cause them.

Conflict of Interest in Sociological Research

As a basic rule, if sociologists have a conflict of interest, they either have to stop carrying out the professional activity or take steps to minimize the impact(s) of the conflict. There are three types of conflicts of interest:

• personal, e.g. if they are related to one of the participants

• financial, e.g. if a sociologist accepted funding for a research project that would benefit the funder

• conflicts of commitment, e.g. if the sociologist can't dedicate enough time or resources to do the research properly or to uphold their responsibilities due to conflicting commitments

If a video game company offers money to the sociologist to research the positive effects of playing video games, the sociologist should refuse the funding. If they accept it, they should take reasonable steps to minimize the impact of the conflict and disclose the interest (see below).

To ensure transparency, sociologists must disclose any conflicts of interest in the research they may have.

American Sociological Association - Key takeaways

• The American Sociological Association (ASA) is a professional organization for sociologists.
• One key purpose of the ASA is to ensure sociological research is conducted while ensuring the well-being of participants.
• The Code of Ethics puts forward formal guidelines for sociological research and outlines ethical standards that all sociologists must adhere to.
• There are six general principles of the ASA, including professional competence, integrity, and social responsibility.
• Some ethical standards of the ASA include informed consent, prevention of harm, confidentiality, and conflict of interest.