Workshop activity to accompany Charles Oppenheim's presentation "Research Ethics and Legal Issues" at the DREaM Event 2 workshop. For more information about this event, please visit http://lisresearch.org/dream-project/dream-event-2-workshop-tuesday-25-october-2011/

1. ETHICAL ISSUES
1. You are undertaking a research project, which requires access to certain electronic
resources, which your employer does not subscribe to. Your partner works for an
organisation that does have access to these resources. Do you ask them for help?
2. Your boss asks that you confine your background literature search just for “all the
dirt on this company/person you can find”. Do you just present him/her with the
“dirt” or do you provide a comprehensive survey?
3. You are invited to a free event by a consultancy organisation that is bidding for a
major research contract with your employer. You have the decisive voice in who the
contract goes to. Do you accept the invitation? Who do you tell, if anyone? If it is
mid-week, do you take a day’s leave to attend? Would it in any way affect your
attitude to placing the contract?
4. You are aware that a researcher colleague is incompetent. What do you do about
it? What if the incompetent person is your immediate line manager?
5. You are doing a survey that involves face-to-face interviews. Do you give the same
time and attention to every interviewee? What if the person is unpleasant, has body
odour, is argumentative or makes you feel scared? What if it is someone who you find
attractive?
Professor Charles Oppenheim
October 2011