1. Why are ethical issues important in research?

1. They will help me pass the assignment
2. They indicate what the researcher ought to do and how they should treat people
3. They help the researcher write up their research
4. They indicate that all people are very sensitive

2. What is an ethics committee?

1. People who like to talk a lot
2. A group of people who think about hypothetical research
3. A group of experienced people who will consider a research proposal and the degree to which ethical issues have been considered appropriately
4. A group of experienced people who are useful to draw on when writing a proposal as an optional extra

3. What (amongst other things) is now considered unethical in Milgram’s experiments looking at obedience and authority?

1. The research participants (given role of ‘teachers’) did not know the ‘learners’ were actors
2. The participants responded to an advert
3. The participants were all male
4. The ‘learners’ were given high voltage shocks

4. What is meant by ‘informed consent’? Please indicate the best answer

1. Telling people who you are and what you are studying
2. The ethics committee is informed about the research
3. Participants are given a clear indication what the research is about and what their involvement would entail
4. Participants are informed about the findings of the research at the end of the project

5. Which of the following best relates to ethical issues when researching with babies?

1. Asking for adults’ permission to research because babies are incapable of showing a degree of consent
2.  Getting babies to make a hand print to stand for a signature on a consent form
3. Seeing consent and withdrawal of consent as an ongoing issue and responding to the cues of the baby
4. Babies don’t remember so if they are upset you don’t need to worry about it

6. If you are a student involved in a research project in a nursery how would you deal with a child disclosing that her parent has hit her the previous night?

1. Keep the information secret as to do otherwise is a breach of confidentiality
2. Talk to the setting’s manager (or person with responsibility for safeguarding) soon afterwards
3. Be annoyed that you will probably have to exclude the child from the research
4. Joke with the parents, saying ‘You’ll never believe what your child has told me…’

7. At which stages of the research process should you think about ethics?

1. When designing the questions and planning the research
2. When collecting data
3. When analysing data
4. When writing up
5. When disseminating the research
6. All of the above

8. In research, what is a ‘gatekeeper’?

1. A nursery manager
2. A parent
3. The person who opens the gate to a nursery each morning
4. Anyone whose permission must be sought before undertaking research