Key Idea: Researchers are responsible for everyone their work touches. That means the people and animals studied, and the people the findings are about.
People in a study
- Consent before, and the right to stop
- No harm; mild deception only if needed
- Debrief and anonymity after
Animals
- They cannot consent
- The 3Rs: replace, reduce, refine
- Benefit weighed against suffering
After the study
- Report honestly, with the limits
- No labels from an average
- Think ahead about misuse
The words to know
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Informed consent | Agreeing to take part, knowing what it involves |
| Right to withdraw | Being free to stop, and to take your data out |
| Deception | Misleading people about the aim, or leaving part of it out |
| Debrief | Explaining the real aim and answering questions at the end |
| Anonymity | Nobody can be identified from the data or the report |
| Cost-benefit analysis | Weighing what a study could teach against the harm it causes |
| The 3Rs | Replace, Reduce, Refine: the rules for animal research |
| Ethics committee | A group that must approve a study before it begins |
| Social responsibility | The duty to report findings honestly and think about how they are used |
| Socially sensitive research | Research whose findings could harm the group it is about |
Who could be harmed: the participants, the animals, or the people the findings reach? What protected them?
Exam-style question
Your class practical was an experiment. Your class tested whether background noise affects memory. Twenty students from another class learned a list of words, half in a noisy room and half in a quiet one. They were told only that it was "a memory task". The results were then shown to their teacher. Explain the concept of responsibility in relation to the experiment in your class practical.
Model answer plan
See the mark-by-mark plan — for / against / judgement, with marking guidance — in study mode.
Important: Listing consent, the 3Rs or honest reporting shows that you know them. Saying what each one meant in this study shows that you can use them.
Tap each card to check yourself.
What three things make consent informed? Information about the study, understanding it, and a free choice.
When is deception acceptable? When it is mild, needed for the study, and followed by a debrief.
Why can animal research not rely on consent? Animals cannot agree to take part, so researchers carry the whole duty.
What do the 3Rs stand for? Replace, Reduce, Refine.
Name one duty when reporting a finding. Be honest about its limits; do not label a group; think about misuse.
What is socially sensitive research? Research whose findings could harm the group it is about.
Exam tips
- Say who is protected: participants, animals, or the people the findings reach.
- For each rule you name, say what was done in this study.
- Say what the rule did to the data, for example who dropped out.
- Treat the report as part of responsibility, not only the testing.