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Researcher's Ethical Responsibilities

The fundamental obligation of any researcher is to know and accept their ethical responsibilities, as ignorance or misunderstanding of standards is never a valid defense against charges of unethical conduct. At a minimum, researchers must comprehensively understand relevant guidelines like the American Psychological Association (APA) Ethics Code, correctly distinguish between minimal risk and at-risk research, and master their institution's specific policies, such as the process for preparing and submitting a research protocol to an Institutional Review Board (IRB). If a study is a course requirement, students must also adhere to specific class procedures. Whenever an ethical standard is ambiguous or an unexpected dilemma arises, the researcher is obligated to actively seek clarification by consulting ethics codes, reviewing how past cases were resolved, or seeking guidance from experienced peers, instructors, or the IRB. Ultimately, the researcher bears full and final responsibility for the ethical execution of their study.

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Updated 2026-05-01

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Research Methods in Psychology - 4th American Edition @ KPU