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Professional Codes of Ethics: Their Role and Implications for International Research

NCJ Number
214226
Journal
Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice Volume: 22 Issue: 2 Dated: May 2006 Pages: 173-192
Author(s)
Jacqueline L. Schneider
Date Published
May 2006
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This article offers suggestions on where international researchers can turn when ethical dilemmas arise in conducting research in various countries with differing cultural and behavioral values.
Abstract
The author first examines the existence and role of institutional review boards in some countries as well as professional codes of criminological societies in different countries. An exploration of ethics in an international context focuses on issues of boundaries, allegiance, and jurisdiction. As an illustration, the author (an American) describes an ethical situation she encountered while conducting research in England. Given the absence of any authoritative, internationally accepted body that can resolve ethical dilemmas and disputes in conducting international criminological research, researchers who conduct cross-national research have no guidance for dealing with ethical questions. At a minimum, ethical oversight committees should have a more prominent role within their societies in providing authoritative advice, guidance, and counsel to those who come from other countries to do research. National societies with international links to other societies might cooperate in providing a statement of acceptable practice for international research or collaboration. There should be a structure whereby a particular ethical issue could be presented to a panel of peers who are experts in cross-national research. This panel would make a collective decision on how to resolve the situation. This would provide ethical authority for a particular research strategy. Another strategy might be to have peer-reviewed journals call on authors of journal articles to provide more complete descriptions of the ethical issues confronted and resolved in the course of their studies. 14 notes and 32 references