MET524 Research Ethics for the Social Sciences

• Topics

  The purpose of the course is to facilitate the development of students' research-ethical competence. The ethical requirements for researchers and research projects are continuously increasing, and ensuring proper research ethics is an integral part of research quality.

  The course will present issues, cases and perspectives on research ethics. The ethical challenges of the research projects of the course participants will be emphasized and students will present and discuss their own projects.

  The course will cover the following topics:

  • What is research ethics?
  • Ethical issues in the social sciences
  • Ethical standards, expectations and institutions in the social sciences
  • Safeguards and measures that can improve the ethical quality of research designs
  • Evaluation the ethical quality of research designs
  • Ethics in the publication process

• Learning outcome

  Knowledge

  The candidate can:

  • recognize ethical issues and challenges in the various stages of the research process
  • reflect on the nature of ethical issues in research
  • understand and apply the ethical guidelines of the Norwegian National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities
  • evaluate the ethical quality of research designs and how they can be improved from an ethical point of view
  • identify and manage relevant ethical issues

  Skills

  The candidate can:

  • develop research designs that are ethically justifiable
  • integrate ethical concerns in research design
  • carry out research and scholarly research work in line with the ethical standards and expectations of one's field
  • articulate and justify the ethical choices that are embedded in research designs and methodological choices

  General competence

  The candidate can:

  • engage in dialogues about research ethics and research quality
  • participate in debates in the field in international forums
  • ensure that research designs are ethically justifiable

• Teaching

  The course is taught as a combination of lectures, structured conversations, paper writing and presentation.

• Restricted access

  • PhD candidates at NHH
  • PhD candidates at Norwegian institutions
  • PhD candidates at other institutions
  • PhD candidates from the ENGAGE.EU alliance

  However, a maximum of 12 students will be admitted to the course, and NHH PhD students are given priority.

• Recommended prerequisites

  The course does not presuppose prior knowledge about ethics; however, basic ethical perspectives will not be presented in detail. Therefore, it is helpful if students have some rudimentary knowledge about ethical perspectives (e.g. utilitarianism, deontology/duty ethics, virtue ethics).

• Required prerequisites

  The course does not presuppose prior knowledge about ethics; however, basic ethical perspectives will not be presented in detail. Therefore, it is helpful if students have some rudimentary knowledge about ethical perspectives (e.g. utilitarianism, deontology/duty ethics, virtue ethics).

• Compulsory Activity

  Presentation of draft term paper in class and commentary on the paper presentation of one other student.

• Assessment

  A written, individual term paper with a maximum length of 10 pages, excluding references (100%). Students are required to write a term paper addressing a research ethics challenge relevant to their PhD project. Draft papers must be submitted within four weeks of the course start date, with the final paper due four weeks thereafter.

• Grading Scale

  Pass/fail

• Computer tools

  None

• Literature

  NESH (2021), Guidelines for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and Humanities. Oslo: De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteene.

  Textbook: Briggle, A. and Mitcham, C. 2012. Ethics and science - An introduction. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  Additional literature TBA.