Introduction
*This image was created using napkin.ai; however, the concept, design direction, and creative vision were conceived by Dr. Knight and Chris Cardenas.
Conducting research involving human participants is a significant responsibility—one that requires more than simply following procedures or collecting data. Ethical research begins with a deep respect for the individuals who participate in studies and a commitment to protecting their rights, dignity, and well-being.
In this chapter, you will learn about the ethical foundations that guide research in the social sciences. We will explore the Belmont Report, a landmark document that outlines three core principles: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. These principles continue to shape ethical standards today, especially through the oversight of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).
You will also learn about the importance of informed consent, how researchers protect participants’ privacy and identities, and what to consider when using incentives or deception in a study. We will discuss how to weigh risks and benefits carefully and introduce you to issues surrounding scientific misconduct, such as falsifying or misrepresenting data. Understanding and applying these principles ensures that research is not only valid and credible—but also humane and responsible.
* AI was used to help organize my thoughts and suggest clarifying sentences, but all ideas and final writing are entirely my own.
🎯Learning Objectives
- Explain the importance of ethics in human research
- Describe the three core principles outlined in the Belmont Report: respect for persons, beneficence, and justice.
- Identify the purpose and role of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)
- Recognize key elements of informed consent
- Discuss strategies for protecting participant identities and maintaining confidentiality.
- Evaluate the ethical use of incentives and deception
- Describe the risk-benefit analysis
- Understand and define scientific misconduct
- List and define the principles of the Belmont Report
- Describe the role and need for the IRB at an institution
- Describe the purpose and characteristics of an informed consent document
- Define three conditions of misconduct
- Offer at least one ethical solution related to research misconduct
AI and Ethics
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Let ME be Transparent – a note from Dr. Knight
If you’ve been following my previous comments closely, you won’t be surprised to hear that there are both ethical and unethical ways to use AI in academia. Throughout this text, I will encourage you to recognize the benefits of AI. However, it is equally important to understand the ethical guidelines you must follow when using it in your research. As you work to master the art of writing a strong research paper, I want to emphasize the importance of adhering to these ethical standards.
I will make many suggestions throughout this text concerning ethical practices that should be adhered to when using AI. My first and foremost suggestion is to prioritize transparency. I cannot stress this enough. AI can be a valuable tool to enhance your understanding and support your research but to maintain academic integrity, it is essential to disclose when and how you use AI. This includes tracking your interactions with AI and maintaining a complete and accurate disclosure statement. This responsibility lies with you. To maintain academic integrity, you must be transparent when using AI. Always be sure to check the expectations for a particular context in which you are writing—each class you take, for example, may have different expectations of what you can use AI for (some classes may prohibit the use altogether) and how to disclose it.
In that vein, I want to share how I will use AI throughout this text. In other words, I want to be transparent with you. I’ll start by sharing a little secret: I am a terrible speller. Or maybe I’m just guilty of getting so excited about an idea that I rush to put it on the page, leaving the fine art of spelling in the dust. I also have this uncanny ability to read something ten times and still not see the glaring errors I’ve made. That’s why I could never live without Grammarly (or its trusty counterparts). It catches my mistakes, saves me from embarrassing typos, and occasionally improves my grammar. But here’s the thing—no tool, no matter how fancy, can replace the development of one’s own writing skills or the expression of one’s unique voice.
Writing isn’t just about putting words on a page; it’s a way of thinking, reasoning, and connecting with an audience. Developing your writing style and learning to communicate effectively are essential skills, so necessary that you’ll be asked to work with the Writing Center on campus to refine them.
As you know, I used Grammarly throughout my writing for the text, but I also used other formats. As part of my disclosure statement, I want to be upfront with you about how I used AI. I used ChatGPT to help organize content and refine explanations. Let me try to explain exactly what that looked like. If I finished writing a section, and I read through it and thought “Dr. Knight (I don’t usually refer to myself as Dr. Knight, I’ll use the title here to maintain a professional tone), Dr. Knight, I don’t think your students are going to understand your thoughts for this section,” I would pull it into ChatGPT and ask, “Is this clear?” or “Do you understand what I am trying to say?” If the answer came back no, I started to dig deeper. I would ask, “Well, which pieces were unclear?” After receiving a response, I would then ask ChatGPT for help. But here’s the important part: I included stipulations regarding the help I wanted. I would say, “Please don’t just write this for me; I want to maintain my voice, I want the main concepts to remain the same, I just need help with clarity.” I remained in control. Then, when ChatGPT reproduced my thoughts with clarification, I set its suggestions side by side with my original work to see if it had been altered so much that it no longer sounded like me. If that was the case, I started over with this AI engine or just tried to clarify it myself without using ChatGPT. My kids often say I sound like ChatGPT when I try to discuss various subjects with them, so, luckily, ChatGPT and I rarely disagree about how a piece should be clarified. 😁🤨😦
ChapGPT and Napkin.ai were also used to develop any graphics I created in this text. As you go through the book, you will see disclaimer statements under every image (if I made them) that state AI was used in their creation. I don’t mind admitting to you that I am no artist. 🖌️However, the concept, design direction, and creative vision were all conceived by me or Chris Cardenas, an education technology specialist here at the university where I teach. I also used H5P interactive learning materials.
And finally, if you ever come across a catchy title that introduces one of my sections, it’s a safe bet that I did not come up with that on my own. ChatGPT was most likely enlisted to help me develop those titles.
I hope my disclosure serves as a helpful example for you as you create your own. Did AI tools provide support during the writing process? You bet. However, I reviewed, fact-checked, and revised every section to ensure accuracy and uphold academic integrity. The ideas, organization, and final choices reflect my own work.
When used correctly, AI can be an incredible asset in organizing thoughts, generating ideas, and enhancing critical thinking. My goal is to prepare you for a future where AI can support, not replace, your reasoning and academic voice.
Remember that AI tools can assist us, but can’t think for us. That’s where you come in.
In addition to transparency, AI users must employ clear and principled prompting tactics. Below are key areas of ethical consideration, along with example prompts demonstrating best practices.
Cardenas, C. (2025, February 21). Teach students to become AI literate [Professional Development Session]. AI Academy, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, United States.
By implementing these Ethical Prompting Tactics, users can ensure that AI interactions are responsible, fair, and aligned with best practices in privacy, accuracy, fairness, intellectual property, and reasoning.