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The Anthropologist and the Crayons: Changing our Focus from Avoiding Harm to Doing Good
1Boston Architectural College.
Summary
The ethical review process often overlooks benefits, focusing instead on risks. This study advocates for a shift towards actively considering and maximizing both immediate and long-term benefits in social research.
Area of Science:
- Social Sciences
- Research Ethics
Background:
- Ethical review processes primarily focus on minimizing risks to participants.
- The potential for active benefits in social research is often undervalued.
Purpose of the Study:
- To re-evaluate the ethical review process by emphasizing benefits alongside risks.
- To highlight the diverse range of stakeholders who can benefit from social research.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of current ethical review practices.
- Conceptual framework for identifying and maximizing research benefits.
Main Results:
- Ethical reviews predominantly concentrate on risk mitigation, neglecting benefit assessment.
- Proximal benefits (occurring during research) are frequently overlooked in favor of distal benefits (contribution to knowledge).
Conclusions:
- The ethical review framework should be redirected to actively consider and enhance benefits for all stakeholders.
- Integrating benefit-focused strategies into research design and review can improve ethical practice and research impact.
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