Ethical inquiry and the concept of research

The place of scholarly research in nursing has not been well studied. Ethical inquiry, as scholarly research, has been included in this neglect. The concept of ethics research is defended and new research approaches to ethics are outlined. Forms of ethics research identified are scholarly, empirical, and dual mode. Questions considered are: Is ethics research research? What are the forms of ethics research? What is the role of empiricism in ethics research? And what is the relationship of ethics research to the moral concerns of nursing? Ethics research explores the basic moral norms undergirding nursing research, practice, and education.