Research versus Ethics? Perspectives from the Social Sciences and Humanities

Animal testing or the use of artificial intelligence – most people
know about and have an opinion on the ethics of these two academic
practices from medicine and computer science. But what happens when
human societies and culture become the object of research? Human
interview partners, experts or eyewitnesses, writers or activists
are essential to data collection in the social sciences and
humanities. In every phase of a research project, researchers need
to think about how they can reconcile their need to generate and
publish knowledge with their participants’ (and their own) need for
safety. This is especially important when researchers are dealing
with vulnerable groups, operating in authoritarian regimes or
facing conflicts and war. In this episode, two researchers with
years of experience in Europe, Central Asia and the Caucasus share
their views on research ethics in the social sciences. (Music:
“Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)