Discuss unethical issues related to research writing that are common in Kenyan middle and higher institutions today

Unethical issues related to research writings that are common in Kenyan middle and higher institutions today
Research ethics are moral principles that should guide researchers in their research undertakings in the field of research.The ommision of these principles becomes unethical in any research.
The following are unethical issues in any research.
Ignorance to confidentiality of informants

A situation where the researcher fails to protect the identity of respondents who gives sensitive information. The researcher, based on the topic of study may ask respondents some questions regarding wealth or insecurity in that particular setting that targets some rulers or members of the social class. Such information's require protection of identity of the informants. Failure to consider this means endangering the lives of informants.
Subjectivity

Subjectivity means that the researcher is guided by personal feelings and emotions while writing a research proposal or conducting a field research.Being subjective may drive the researcher to produce an imbalanced results. This means that to gather a valid and reliable information that can be verified to form a theory, then objectivity should be considered.
Subjectivity in research findings can only be applied in natural sciences but for social sciences objectivity is preferred. For examples, when a researcher is interviewing the survivors of war,he or she may have personal feelings of emotions since she or he is part of the study and when these victims are telling their horrible stories about the genocidal acts imposed to them, then they may also shade tears. When this happens then it will interfere with the research findings.
Failure to inform the informants
Unethical issues in research also includes conducting research without the consent of the informants.
The researcher may end up producing incomplete information.conducting research without informing the informants also results to lack of preparations hence the informants may not provide full information needed as per the topic of study. The informants should be prepared both physically and psychologically for the exercise.

Ignorance to culture
Cultural sensitivity is important in any research undertakings.
Researchers,both in tertiary and higher institutions are misguided by failing to consider the culture of the people areas where they conduct their research studies. By doing so they creats greater obstacles for future research undertakings for others.
In addition, failure to observe culture may lead to the end of fundings from sponsors.For example, there are some cultures that forbid certain practices especially on the women for example in Sudan,seeing a foreign man standing with a lady is a sin and the consequence of this is death to both the lady and the man.Therefore, understanding cultures of a people is important.

Copyright
Each country or state is guided by the law that untails how researchers should operate or behave in their research undertakings.
Researchers at times fail to accompany themselves with necessary documents such as permits that allow them to conduct their research. Failure to abide to this is unethical and the consequence is that the law will catch up with the researcher.
Disrespect to the informants
Dignity to the informant is crucial in research
It is the informant who has the valid and required information hence disrespect is unethical.Approaching the informants as if the researcher already know what will be given may times lead to error.
The researcher therefore should be honest and convince clearly the informants on the importance of the research undertakings .Through this, then the informants will have in mind that the researcher is really interested in his or her information

Lastly,bribery to the informants may interfere with research process
This means that the informants on convincing them with money so that they participate, will make them to provide information which is full of lies. They may deviate from the truth and provide invalid information only to appease the researcher and for the purpose of research.

In conclusion, unethical issues in research in all levels of education should be taken with a lot of caution and therefore researchers should ensure that these unethical conducts are corrected to improve the importance of research,hence leads to validity and reliability of information.

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John Tery answered the question on July 3, 2018 at 04:30