P.2: Week 4: Field Study, Methods, Ethics, and Data Management

Preparatory Stages

Before researchers can step into the field, they must undergo several __ stages that ensure their work is ethical, credible, and safe.

Institutional Approval

Every psychological study must first be reviewed and authorized by a governing body such as an Ethics Review Committee or Institutional Review Board (IRB).

Institutional Approval

Purpose: Ensures compliance with ethical/legal standards. Protects participants’ rights (esp. vulnerable groups). Confirms risks, benefits, and methods are well considered. Example: A psychology student studying stress in psychiatric patients must first obtain clearance from the hospital’s ethics committee.

Preparatory Stages of Planning Research

Institutional Approval, Informed Consent Form (ICF), Informed Consent in Intervention Experiments

Informed Consent

The cornerstone of ethical research—it ensures participants voluntarily agree to take part after being fully informed.

Key Provisions in an ICF

Purpose and Procedures, Freedom to Withdraw, Risks and Discomforts, Benefits, Confidentiality Limits, Incentives, Contact Information.

Purpose and Procedures

Participants must know what the study is about, what they will be asked to do, and how long it will take.

Freedom to Withdraw

They may refuse to join or stop participating anytime without penalty.

Risks and Discomforts

Any possible negative effects must be disclosed.

Benefits

Clarify potential contributions to science or community, and possible personal benefits.

Confidentiality Limits

Explain how data will be protected and when confidentiality might be broken (e.g., legal obligations, risk of harm)

Incentives

If participants receive compensation, it must be disclosed.

Contact Information

Give details of a researcher or supervisor who can answer questions.

Informed Consent in Intervention Experiments

Special ethical concerns arise in clinical or intervention research, where participants may or may not receive a potentially helpful treatment.

Informed Consent in Intervention Experiments

Requirements: 1. The experimental nature of treatments must be explained at the start. 2. Clearly state what services will not be available to the control group. 3. Method of assignment (e.g., randomization) must be explained. 4. Clarify what treatments or support are available for those who do not participate. 5. Financial aspects (costs, reimbursements, incentives) must be transparent.

Informed Consent in Intervention Experiments

Example: In a depression therapy trial, control group participants must be told they won’t get the new therapy but will still receive standard care.

Common Ethical Debates in Field Research

Deception, Potential Harm, Informed Consent Challenges, Confidentiality, Authorship & Plagiarism.

Deception

Sometimes researchers hide the true purpose of a study to prevent biased behavior.

Deception is Acceptable Only If

1. No non-deceptive method is possible. 2. The study contributes significantly to knowledge. 3. It won’t cause serious harm or distress. 4. Participants are fully debriefed afterward. Example: A stress study where participants are told they’re doing a “memory test” to avoid altered responses.

Potential Harm

Researchers must minimize all risks, not only physical but also psychological (stress, embarrassment, stigma). Example: A survey on bullying must ensure anonymity to prevent stigma.

Informed Consent Challenges

In emergencies (e.g., disaster zones), formal consent may be difficult to obtain, but researchers must adapt while still respecting autonomy. Example: During disaster relief, verbal consent may be used when written consent is impractical.

Confidentiality

Protecting participant data while balancing legal/ethical duties to report (e.g., abuse disclosures). Example: A psychologist must report child abuse if revealed in an interview, even while ensuring other data remain confidential.

Authorship & Plagiarism

Researchers must not fabricate, falsify, or misuse data. Proper credit must be given in publications. Example: A field study report must acknowledge all contributors to avoid authorship disputes.

Debriefing Requirements for Use of Deception in Research

Explaining full research details to participants after their involvement. Purpose: Restores trust between researcher & participant, Clears misconceptions, Provides psychological support if needed. Example: After a stress experiment, participants must be told why stress tasks were used and reassured that their reactions were normal.

Data

Often called the “lifeblood of psychological research” because every conclusion, insight, and policy recommendation rests upon the information collected in the field.

Data

If __ is mishandled, it can compromise scientific integrity (producing flawed or fabricated findings) and violate participants’ rights (exposing them to harm, stigma, or loss of trust).

Proper Data Management

___ not simply a technical step—it is an ethical responsibility that reflects the credibility of both the researcher and the discipline.

Core Principles of Data Management

Consent, Confidentiality, Security, Retention and Disposal, Transparency and Accuracy.

Consent

Data must only be collected with the knowledge and voluntary agreement of participants.

Consent

Rule: Data cannot be repurposed for unrelated studies without renewed permission. Example: If participants consent to stress interviews, their responses cannot later be used for a study on family conflict unless they agree again.

Confidentiality

Protecting participant identities through anonymization (codes like “P1”) and removal of identifying details (e.g., school, barangay names). Example: Instead of reporting “Juan, a health worker from Brgy. San Pedro,” researchers use “Respondent A, a health worker.”

Security

It involves technological and physical safeguards: password-protected files, encrypted drives, secure cloud storage, or locked filing cabinets for handwritten notes.

Security

Methods: Password-protected files, encrypted drives, secure cloud storage, locked filing cabinets. Example: Field notes stored on an encrypted USB instead of an open laptop folder.

Data Breach

A __ breach could not only harm participants but also damage the researcher’s reputation and credibility.

Retention & Disposal

Keep data only as long as needed for analysis, verification, or per institutional rules. Dispose of it responsibly afterward.

Retention & Disposal

Methods: Shredding hard copies, permanently deleting digital files. Example: After 5 years (institutional policy), interview recordings are erased to prevent unauthorized reuse.

Transparency & Accuracy

Researchers should maintain detailed documentation, such as data logs and inventories, to track when, how, and by whom data was collected.

Transparency & Accuracy

This prevents errors, fabrication, or selective reporting of results. Transparent documentation also ensures that the research can be verified or replicated by others.

Transparency & Accuracy

Maintain detailed data logs and inventories to ensure accuracy, prevent fabrication, and allow replication.

Transparency & Accuracy

Example: A researcher keeps a record of each interview date, duration, and code (P1, P2, etc.) to ensure verifiability.