Ethical issues researchers anticipate and avoid in scientific practice

¶ … religious faith. Part of this faith is the belief that homosexuality is against God and God's teachings. The researcher is part of a research team working together on a grant-funded project focusing on adjustment of children raised in families with same-sex parents. The researcher has been tasked with completing a major part of the literature review related to the topic. What advice would you give the researcher for remaining unbiased while reviewing the literature?

The researcher has the challenge of remaining objective whilst reading the material and selecting that which he would incorporate in his writing. There are various strategies that the researcher can use:

Being aware of his bias

It is crucial that the researcher be aware of the fact that he has heterosexual tendencies that have been shaped by his religious inclinations and that this fact may impact his work. At the same time, he needs to be aware of his responsibilities as scientist that he has a responsibility to his readership and the wider community to conduct research that disengages from his religious bias. (Creswell, 2009)

2. Difference between observed difference and reflection on pathology of bisexual, gay, or lesbian participants

The researchers should realize that the possibility that bisexual, gay, or lesbian participants differ from heterosexual participants does not represent deficit on their part. A pattern that may be existent amongst the gay etc. population but are lacking amongst the heterosexual does not mean that the former is deficient. In other words, the researcher should be careful to state facts as they are and not make value judgments. The same should be done in terms of evaluating psychological scores. (Herek et al. 1991).

3. Language:

When describing his results and compiling his work, the researcher should meticulously avoid heterosexist language including characterizations that pathologize or ignore the experiences of his gay participants. He may ask other objective people for feedback on his report. He may also share it (as is frequently done in qualitative research) with his sample for purposes of response. (APA, 2012; Creswell, 2009)

4. Are all limitations stated and appropriate?

The researcher should evaluate his stated limitations. Are they extended to the appropriate audience and has the researcher succeeded in not generalizing when generalization is not called for. To illustrate: the researcher in this case is testing only a select case of children from gay parents. His application of research therefore should be generalized only to children from similar situations (and should be matched to characterizations of his specific case study).

5. Has the researcher attempt to anticipate distortions of his review by media and the lay public?

Scientific research on homosexuals and other non-heterosexual populations are popular by the media and often distributed amongst them. These can be publicized tot the public. The ramifications of the research can consequently be huge and they lie open to the possibility of being distorted.

When forming his review therefore the researcher has to be doubly careful that he is interpreting, reading, and writing them correctly as placed in the original report. He also has to ensure that he is accurately choosing studies that are important and scientifically accurate as well as reliable and that he is objectively rejecting those that are not accurate or reliable. In other words, the scientist has to ensure that not only is his selection of material objective and bias-free but that his reporting of the material also avoids potential misreading. (Herek et al. 1991).