Academic Advice Recent
Research Ethics: Protecting Participants and Your Reputation
In the rush to collect data, many students overlook the most critical part of the process: Ethics. Ethical misconduct isn't just a moral failing; it is a ground for immediate disqualification in most postgraduate boards.
### Informed Consent
You cannot "trick" people into being part of your study. Participants must know what the study is about, that their participation is voluntary, and that they can withdraw at any time. This is usually handled via a "Consent Letter" in your Appendix. Without this, your data is technically "illegal" in the academic world.
### Anonymity vs. Confidentiality
These are not the same thing. Anonymity means even *you* don't know who the respondent is (like an anonymous online link). Confidentiality means you know who they are, but you promise to keep their identity a secret. In a country where sensitive topics can have real-world consequences, protecting your source's identity is your highest priority.
### The Plagiarism Ghost
Ethics also covers how you treat other people's ideas. Using someone else’s data or "faking" your own results (Data Fabrication) are the two fastest ways to end your academic career. uniSupport provides professional ethics reviews to ensure your data collection methods are beyond reproach and your integrity remains intact.
### Informed Consent
You cannot "trick" people into being part of your study. Participants must know what the study is about, that their participation is voluntary, and that they can withdraw at any time. This is usually handled via a "Consent Letter" in your Appendix. Without this, your data is technically "illegal" in the academic world.
### Anonymity vs. Confidentiality
These are not the same thing. Anonymity means even *you* don't know who the respondent is (like an anonymous online link). Confidentiality means you know who they are, but you promise to keep their identity a secret. In a country where sensitive topics can have real-world consequences, protecting your source's identity is your highest priority.
### The Plagiarism Ghost
Ethics also covers how you treat other people's ideas. Using someone else’s data or "faking" your own results (Data Fabrication) are the two fastest ways to end your academic career. uniSupport provides professional ethics reviews to ensure your data collection methods are beyond reproach and your integrity remains intact.