Ethics and Behavior 14 (4):397 – 412 (2004) |Abstract||Ethics is
normative; ethics indicates, in broad terms, what researchers
should do. For example, researchers should respect human
participants. Empirical study tells us what actually happens.
Empirical research is often needed to fine-tune the best ways to
achieve normative objectives, for example, to discover how best
to achieve the dual aims of gaining important knowledge and
respecting participants. Ethical decision making by scientists
and institutional review boards should not be based on hunches
and anecdotes (e.g., about such matters as what information
potential research participants would want to know and what they
understand, or what they consider to be acceptable risks). These
questions should be answered through empirical research. Some of
the preceding articles in this special issue illustrate uses of
empirical research on research ethics. This article places
empirical research on research ethics into broader perspective
and challenges investi