If you have just completed your Master and intend to pursue Ph.D in your subject, then you must have a fair knowledge of Research Ethics. Without following the Research Ethics in your research, your thesis could be considered of sub-standard and even your research paper could not be accepted in an esteemed journal. So, in this blog,  for the benefit of all young researchers, especially doing research in English Language and literature, we are going to define and discuss Research Ethics.

As we see that ‘Research Ethics’ is made up of two words, ‘Research’ and ‘Ethics’. So, in this blog we will define and briefly discuss both the words, ‘Research’ and ‘Ethics’ separately for your easy understanding.

What is Research?

1.   The meaning of research is to enquire closely again  and find out something new which has been left by other scholars.

2. It is a creative and systematic study of literary works to add some new ideas in the existing knowledge of the field.

3.Reseach is a creative way of study of the existing knowledge with the aim of generating or finding a new concepts, methodologies and understanding.

Aspects of Research:

1.Your approach should be systematic.

2.Your analysis should be based on logic and reasoning.

3. Rely on first hand and actual observations.

4. You should have an in depth analysis.

5.You must fill the research gap in the field of knowledge through your research.

6.Your findings must be accurate.

Objectives of Research:

1.To acquire advance knowledge.

2. To find new ideas.

3. To develop new theories of study left by other scholars.

Meaning of Ethics:

1.Ethics means morals.

2.Ethics means norms for conduct.

3. It means rules that distinguish between right and wrong.

Research Ethics:

1.Research ethics is a set of guidelines for researchers to do research carefully. It is a defined norm that tells us what is right and what is wrong in research.

2.Research Ethics are moral principles bound to be followed by researchers.

Ethical Issues in Research:

1.The researcher should not divert from the actual topic.

2.He should use valid research methods in his research.

3.The researcher should not use unethical ways to collect data from the participants or interviewed.

4.Choice of sample should be bias free.

5. Heshould not change the outcomes or his finding to suit his needs. It means he is not allowed to manipulate the findings.

6. He should not manipulate the research materials.

7. The most important thing is plagiarism. It is a literary theft and the University Grants Commission is very strict on this. Write your thesis in your own language. If you are borrowing ideas from someone or taking some lines from somewhere it must under proper quotes and you must give the complete references of the author and his works from where you have borrowed this.

Objectives of Research Ethics:

1.To increase the reliability of the research.

2. To build up confidence in the research work done and the findind results.

3.To support social and moral values by not doing harm to others while conducting research.

4. To ensure that research is conducted in a way that serves the interest of individuals and society.

5. To protect the rights of the research participants by forcing the academic honesty of the researcher.

Conclusion:

Thus we see that Research Ethics is very important in research because it makes the research believable. Ethics should be followed by religiously and honestly. If not followed properly, your research will be of sub-standard. Even if you write a research paper without following the research ethics, it will not get accepted in a renowned journal.

If this blog is beneficial for you and if you like this, please leave a comment and share and forward to your friends,

 

 Prof. (Dr.) Asghar Ali Ansari

 School of Language, Literature and Society (English)

 Jaipur National University, Jaipur, India