PSYC 510 W3 Ethical Dilemma in Research Memorandum

Read the following ethical dilemmas and select the one most relevant to your personal and/or professional interests to complete this discussion. Note: the following scenarios were modified from a publication written by Hammersley and Traianou (2012) for the British Educational Research Association.

As a graduate student researcher, you want to investigate racist hiring practices. However, you are concerned that unless you disguise the focus of inquiry, you may not be able to truly assess these practices.

When studying educational challenges when working with special needs students, you are confronted by a young adult with severe learning difficulties who demands to be included in the research project along with fellow members of the class, even though her parents have already refused on her behalf. The young adult is 18 years old.

In writing up the results on a study of three local preschool nurseries for publication, you realize that the analysis is likely to be interpreted by parents and the local media as suggesting that one of these nurseries is far inferior. However, there were several beneficial aspects of that nursery not quantified as part of the initial study, and that information is not available from the other two nurseries to analyze.

During the course of investigating induction processes in a military training establishment, you witness what appeared to be severe bullying of a new recruit by two of the staff. If you interfere you may jeopardize your data collection and the integrity of your research.

• Using the one scenario you selected, compose a professional letter as if you were a graduate student currently faced with the dilemma. Write a professional letter to your graduate research advisor discussing the hypothetical situation (scenario) and how you think it should be handled.
•  Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (apa.org)