PRC Ethical Research Practices & Compliance 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under the Belmont Report, which principle requires that the benefits of research justify its risks?
- Respect for Persons
- Beneficence (Correct answer)
- Justice
- Autonomy
Correct answer: Beneficence
Beneficence obligates researchers to maximize benefits and minimize harms, ensuring the risk-benefit ratio is acceptable.
Question 2: A researcher collects data from a focus group but later wants to use quotes in a publication. What must they obtain first?
- IRB re-approval only
- Informed consent from participants for that specific use (Correct answer)
- Only the client's permission
- A confidentiality waiver from the facility
Correct answer: Informed consent from participants for that specific use
Secondary use of participant quotes in publications typically requires specific consent beyond the original research agreement.
Question 3: Which practice violates the principle of data minimization in ethical research?
- Collecting only variables needed to answer research questions
- Storing participant ages when only age ranges are needed (Correct answer)
- Anonymizing data after collection
- Deleting raw data after analysis
Correct answer: Storing participant ages when only age ranges are needed
Data minimization requires collecting only the least amount of personal data necessary, making precise ages unnecessary when ranges suffice.
Question 4: A market research firm receives a request to survey consumers about a competitor's product weaknesses. What ethical concern arises if the sponsor's identity is concealed?
- Sampling bias
- Undisclosed sponsorship conflict (Correct answer)
- Non-response error
- Interviewer bias
Correct answer: Undisclosed sponsorship conflict
Concealing sponsor identity when it could influence participant responses or public perception violates transparency standards.
Question 5: When a researcher discovers mid-study that a participant is experiencing psychological distress, what is the immediate ethical obligation?
- Complete the interview to avoid data gaps
- Offer to stop and provide referral resources (Correct answer)
- Note it in the report without intervening
- Replace the participant with another
Correct answer: Offer to stop and provide referral resources
Participant welfare supersedes data collection; researchers must stop and provide appropriate support or referrals.
Question 6: Which scenario represents 'deceptive research' that may be ethically permissible under strict conditions?
- Falsifying demographic data in reports
- Withholding the true study purpose to prevent response bias, with full debriefing afterward (Correct answer)
- Misrepresenting qualifications to access restricted populations
- Fabricating competitor data for a client
Correct answer: Withholding the true study purpose to prevent response bias, with full debriefing afterward
Limited deception about study purpose can be ethically justified when bias would otherwise invalidate results, provided full debriefing follows.
Question 7: A PRC-certified researcher is pressured by a client to omit unfavorable findings from a final report. What is the correct response?
- Omit the findings to maintain client relations
- Include all findings and note the client's request in documentation (Correct answer)
- Include only findings the client pre-approves
- Submit two versions — one complete, one edited
Correct answer: Include all findings and note the client's request in documentation
Professional integrity and PRC standards require complete, accurate reporting regardless of client preferences.
PRC Ethical Research Practices & Compliance 2
Under the Belmont Report, which principle requires that the benefits of research justify its risks?