Research Ethics for Conducting Primary Research Worksheet

Research Writing: Research Process

Practice with this Ethical Considerations in Primary Research Worksheet to determine how well you understand the research ethics involved in conducting this type of research. By completing 10 exercises, you can boost your knowledge to ensure your entire research writing project goes smoothly, including any primary research.
Research Ethics for Conducting Primary Research


For the first three exercises below, decide whether each statement is true or false, and explain your answer. For the remaining exercises, answer the question presented to you in each exercise, and make sure to explain your answer when an exercise requires it.

  • True or false: You should never record participant information anonymously in case you forget what data matches up with each participant. Explain your answer.

  • True or false: As long as any participant, regardless of age or mental capacity, signs an informed consent form, you have their permission to be studied. Explain your answer.

  • True or false: It is the responsibility of your participants to ask for the necessary forms to give informed consent. Explain your answer.

  • How can you ensure the confidentiality of primary research participants? List at least three specific steps.

  • If your data was not quite what you expected, is it okay to round percentages of statistical figures up a few tenths of a percentage point to get the data you need to support your hypothesis? Explain your answer.

  • What must occur for your participants to give informed consent that maintains ethical guidelines?

  • Should you omit data that seems irrelevant because it falls outside the normal data range? Explain your answer.

  • If the equipment you are using to collect data is only periodically working correctly, should you continue with your research since the equipment works some of the time? Explain your answer.

  • If you are short two participants, is it okay to make up data for participants that do not actually exist? Explain your answer.

  • Can you think of any additional ethical considerations that might threaten to hurt the integrity of your research? List at least one.