Research Methods guide, Unit 1, step 4 of 16Guide overview Next step

Step 4: Research Ethics and Integrity

By the EconTutorials team. 11-minute read with 6 practice questions.

MatchesUniversity ethics approval · IB Extended Essay ethical guidelines · A-level NEA and EPQ ethics sections

In 30 seconds

Research ethics protects the people in your study; research integrity protects the truth of your findings.
The core principles: informed consent, avoiding harm, confidentiality and anonymity, the right to withdraw, and honesty about the study.
Collecting personal data means following data protection law (in the UK and EU, the GDPR): collect only what you need, store it securely, and delete it when you are done.
Integrity means no fabrication, falsification or plagiarism, and honest disclosure of any use of AI tools.
Almost every university requires ethics approval before you collect any data from people.

Video lesson coming soonA short animated lesson for this step will appear here.

Why ethics comes before data

Ethics is not a form you fill in at the end. If your study involves people, a committee must usually approve it before you send a single survey. Data collected without approval may not be usable in your dissertation at all. Plan ethics as part of your design.

Key termsResearch ethics: the principles that protect participants’ rights, safety and dignity. Research integrity: honesty, accuracy and transparency in how research is done and reported.

The core principles

Principle	What it means in practice
Informed consent	Participants know what the study is, what they will do, the risks, how data will be used, and agree freely before taking part.
Avoid harm	No physical, psychological, social or financial harm; take extra care with sensitive topics.
Confidentiality	You know who said what but do not reveal it.
Anonymity	Even you cannot link responses to a person (for example an anonymous online survey).
Right to withdraw	Participants can stop at any time without giving a reason, and ask for their data to be removed up to a stated date.
Honesty	No deception unless it is essential, approved and followed by a full debrief.

Chapter 4 of Research Methods Made Simple covers this in full, with an information sheet, consent form and data management plan templates.Get the textbook · $15

Informed consent in practice

Consent normally has two documents. The participant information sheet explains the study in plain language. The consent form records agreement, usually as a list of statements the participant ticks.

Worked example

Draft the key consent statements for 30-minute interviews with working students.

1I have read the information sheet and had the chance to ask questions.

2I understand that taking part is voluntary and I can withdraw at any time, and ask for my data to be removed until 1 March 2027.

3I agree to the interview being audio-recorded and transcribed.

4I understand that my name will be replaced with a pseudonym and identifying details removed.

5I agree that anonymised quotations may be used in the dissertation.

Each statement is separate so the participant can agree to some and not others (for example, agree to the interview but not to quotations).

In your dissertationPut your information sheet and consent form in an appendix, state in your methodology the date and reference number of your ethics approval, and explain how you handled the specific risks of your topic.

Vulnerable groups and sensitive topics

Extra safeguards are needed for children (under 18 in most rules, who usually need parental consent as well as their own agreement), people who may feel unable to refuse (your own students, employees or friends), and topics such as health, money, debt or personal relationships. Asking classmates about their finances may seem harmless, but a power imbalance or social pressure can make consent less than free. Offer a genuine way to decline and signpost support services where a topic could cause distress.

Data protection

If you collect information that can identify a person, data protection law applies. In the UK and EU that is the GDPR. Its practical rules for student projects are:

Minimise: collect only what your question needs. Do you need date of birth, or just an age band?
Secure: store data on university-approved, password-protected storage, not on a personal phone or an unencrypted USB stick.
Separate: keep any key linking names to participant IDs apart from the data.
Delete: state how long you keep the data and destroy it after that.

Research integrity

Misconduct	Meaning	Example
Fabrication	Inventing data or results	Adding 40 made-up survey responses to reach a target
Falsification	Changing or selectively reporting data	Dropping awkward cases without a stated rule; only reporting the tests that were significant
Plagiarism	Using others’ words or ideas without credit	Paraphrasing a paper closely without citing it (Step 16)

Using AI tools honestly

Universities now publish rules on generative AI. Typical rules allow AI for some tasks (checking grammar, suggesting search terms, explaining a method) and forbid it for others (writing your analysis or discussion). Whatever is allowed, the universal rules are: follow your own institution’s policy, never present AI-generated text as your own words, never trust an AI-supplied reference without finding the source yourself, and declare your use as your university requires.

Common mistakePromising anonymity in an interview study. You met the person and recorded their voice, so you know who they are. What you can promise is confidentiality: you will not reveal their identity, and you will use pseudonyms and remove identifying details.

Practise until it sticks: Research Methods Made Simple Practice Questions has 1,004 questions, each with a worked answer.Get the practice book · $9

Practise: 6 questions

Try each one on paper first, then check the worked answer.

EasyQ1. Name four principles of research ethics. Show worked answer

Any four of: informed consent; avoiding harm; confidentiality; anonymity; right to withdraw; honesty (no unnecessary deception); data protection.

EasyQ2. What is the difference between confidentiality and anonymity? Show worked answer

Confidentiality: the researcher knows who the participant is but does not reveal it. Anonymity: nobody, including the researcher, can link the data to the person.

MediumQ3. A student wants to survey their own tutorial group, which they teach as a graduate assistant. What is the ethical issue and how could it be reduced? Show worked answer

Power imbalance: students may feel they cannot refuse, or must answer positively, because their tutor is asking. Reduce it by having someone else distribute the survey, making it anonymous, stating clearly that taking part has no effect on marks, and running it after grades are released.

MediumQ4. A survey asks for full name, email, date of birth, home postcode and weekly hours worked. Apply data minimisation. Show worked answer

The question needs only weekly hours and perhaps an age band. Remove name, full date of birth and postcode. Keep email only if needed for a prize draw, and collect it in a separate form so it cannot be linked to the answers.

MediumQ5. After analysis, a student removes 12 respondents whose answers weaken the result. Is this acceptable? Show worked answer

No. Removing cases because they weaken the result is falsification. Cases may be excluded only by a rule set in advance and applied to everyone (for example, “responses completed in under 60 seconds are excluded”), and the exclusion must be reported.

ExamQ6. Identify and justify three ethical safeguards for interviews about students’ financial difficulties. [6] Show worked answer

Informed consent with a clear information sheet [1], because participants must understand that the topic is sensitive before agreeing [1]. Confidentiality with pseudonyms and removal of identifying details [1], because financial details could embarrass or harm participants if revealed [1]. Signposting to support services such as the student hardship fund and the right to stop or skip questions [1], to reduce the risk of distress [1].

Check yourself

1. Inventing survey responses is

Fabrication means making up data; falsification means altering or selectively reporting real data.

2. In an interview study you can usually promise

You know who you interviewed, so you can protect their identity but not make it unknown to you.

3. Ethics approval should be obtained

Most universities require approval for any research with human participants before it starts.

Your score: 0 out of 3

The textbook and the practice book together: the Research Methods Made Simple bundle for $19 (was $24).Both books · $19

The short version

Get ethics approval before collecting data from people.
Informed consent, no harm, confidentiality or anonymity, right to withdraw, honesty.
Minimise, secure, separate and delete personal data.
Never fabricate, falsify or plagiarise; follow and disclose your university’s AI rules.

Studying more than one subject? The Complete Book Bundle includes every Economics, Statistics, Mathematics, Econometrics and Research Methods book.

Research Ethics Pack · $5
Consent form, participant information sheet and risk plan templates. Free sample on the product page. Or get all 7 research kits for $19.

Want more questions like these, with worked answers?

The practice book has 1,004 more, from quick recall to exam style.

Practice book, 1,004 questions: $9 See the bundle: $19

Next: step 5 of 16Research Design