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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal – Vol.8, No.1
Publication Date: January 25, 2021
DOI:10.14738/assrj.81.9603.
Zepeda, J. A. R., Herandez, J. A. V., & Chombo, R. A. (2021). Ethical Considerations To Carry Out Social Research In Rural Communities
Of The Municipality Of Amealco De Bonfil. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8 (1) 277- 288.
Ethical Considerations to Carry Out Social Research in Rural
Communities of the Municipality of Amealco De Bonfil
Jorge Adán Romero Zepeda
Autonomous University of Queretaro, Campus Concá, Mexico
Jorge Arturo Velázquez Hernández
Autonomous University of Queretaro, Campus Amazcala, Mexico
Rosalía Alonso Chombo
Autonomous University of Queretaro, Campus Tequisquiapan, Mexico
Resumen
El objetivo de la presente investigación es recabar información culturalmente oportuna para
desarrollar protocolos de investigación en el contexto universitario para con población indígena.
Teóricamente, se parte de la afirmación que en las disciplinas sociales el consentimiento
informado es indispensable para hacer la actividad científica ética; y por ello, se deben de
desarrollar mecanismos institucionales para salvaguardar este consentimiento informado. Como
estrategia de acercamiento a la comunidad, se impartió un curso de capacitación para el
emprendimiento, en donde se llevaron a cabo ocho encuestas. En trabajo de campo, se observa un
entusiasmo de la población para que en las comunidades indígenas se desarrollen actividades
científicas sociales; sobre todo si se les involucra en todas las fases de investigación a los
integrantes de la comunidad. De lo anterior se concluye que un mecanismo institucional para que
la academia actúe éticamente con la población indígena, es que los integrantes de la comunidad
participen en todas las fases de la investigación.
Palabras clave: Bioética, Ciencias Sociales, Investigación, Rural.
ABSTRACT
The objective of this research is to collect culturally timely information to develop research
protocols in the university context for the indigenous population. Theoretically, it starts from the
assertion that in social disciplines informed consent is essential to carry out ethical scientific
activity; and therefore, institutional mechanisms must be developed to safeguard this informed
consent. As a strategy of approaching the community, a training course for entrepreneurship was
given, where eight surveys were carried out. In field work, there is an enthusiasm of the
population for the development of social scientific activities in indigenous communities; especially
if community members are involved in all phases of the investigation. From the above, it is
concluded that an institutional mechanism for the academy to act ethically with the indigenous
population is that the members of the community participate in all phases of the investigation.
Keywords: Bioethics, Social Sciences, Research, Rural.
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Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal (ASSRJ) Vol.8, Issue 1, January-2021
THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
It is claimed that, up to now, although science and technology have greatly assisted humanity in
solving technical, economic, social and environmental problems; This has not prevented the use of
sophisticated research methods to outrage the same human being and other living beings. The
intellectual refinement of the sciences has not prevented their achievements from being applied to
barbaric acts and opposed to the civilizing process.(Romero and Romero, 2015: 12).
Unfortunately, the lack of ability to self-regulate has been demonstrated time and again in the
scientific community; neither individually nor academic and governmental institutions have been
able to guarantee this integrity for the investigation. When we analyze the occasions where these
acts of barbarism are committed, maximized by the representatives of science, we generally find
conflicts of interest, where the intention to provide a good for humanity is questioned by extreme
ideologies, political pressure, interests economic or particular psychological needs, such as the
overriding desire for recognition and prestige (Rodríguez et al, 2011: 4).
To solve the foregoing, the research ethics committee is the evaluating body so that ethical
regulations are respected in scientific work; being able to approve, request modifications, reject
and even suspend investigations, if the situation warrants it. The procedure is that research
projects must be reviewed by an ethics committee before they begin, once approved, follow-up;
and once finished, verify the proper procedure of its socialization or publication. At a minimum,
there must be activities of ethics committees in hospitals, research centers and universities (Achío,
2003: 86).
Research ethics committees should take the following actions:
• Provide advice to other educational and research bodies.
• Evaluate the social and environmental impacts of advances in science and technology,
formulating recommendations.
• Promote ethics in research in general, by creating spaces for public debate; the publication
of its activities; and the training, education and awareness of bioethics issues to the general
public (Hall, 2014: 112).
Some basic observations that an ethics committee will take into consideration regarding research
will be the following:
• The performers must be proven qualified.
• The results must justify its development.
• The execution of the research must avoid or minimize the physical, mental and social
suffering of the subjects or beings analyzed.
• No experiment should be undertaken when there is a possibility of an accident and serious
harm (such as death).
• If there are risks, they should not exceed the possible benefits.
• Everything must be carefully prepared and countermeasures in place in case of the remote
possibility of accidental damage.
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URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.14738/assrj.81.9560 279
Zepeda, J. A. R., Herandez, J. A. V., & Chombo, R. A. (2021). Ethical Considerations To Carry Out Social Research In Rural Communities Of The Municipality Of
Amealco De Bonfil. Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 8 (1) 277- 288.
• Informed consent must be requested from the research subjects, and if the situation
warrants it, guarantee their anonymity.
• Research subjects may abandon their participation at any time they wish, without entailing
any type of penalty (Romero and Romero, 2015: 15).
On the other hand, the scientist is expected to attend to certain ethical considerations before
submitting his research project for review by a committee:
• Intellectual honesty in the proposal.
• Give credits to those involved.
• Transparency in possible conflicts of interest.
• No fabrication, falsification or plagiarism will occur in the data.
• The subjects and objects of study will be kept appropriate behavior (avoid harm).
• Precision in how contributions will be socialized.
• Willingness to collaborate with other research bodies.
• Acceptance of the opinion of the ethics committee (Hall, 2014: 115).
A controversial aspect about what is still far from reaching agreements is in relation to the
informed consent of the research subjects. It is known that the behavior of the subjects is distorted
when they are observed; for what in social sciences there is usually a lot of resorting to research
without people knowing that it is part of a study, they are given intentionally insufficient
information, or in short they are deceived, all of this waiting for them to act "naturally". In turn, it
is difficult to demarcate a clear separation between what is an invasion of privacy and the loss of
confidentiality of what is not (as in the case of the study on social networks) (Achío, 2003: 93).
Until now, for Latin America the instance that has established certain control over scientific
quality and integrity has been the scientific journals, which with peer review, do some scrutiny on
the results of research, trying to maintain the credibility of their publications and the scientific
community in general. However, these magazines are limited in their capacity for action; since, on
the one hand, from the publishable results it is not possible to know whether there were no ethical
violations during the entire research process; and on the other hand, if this type of transgression is
identified, the only thing the magazine can do is reject the article.
In open discussion between research ethics committees and social scientists, it is identified that
there are indeed substantive differences between the procedures of the life sciences with which
they seek to explain human behavior. From the outset, it is understood that the damage that must
be avoided in populations is rarely related to physical integrity, and on the contrary, what is
usually found at risk is the mental integrity of the subjects, their social prestige and their material
assets . In the same way, in general the benefits of research are not reflected in a single individual
in the immediate in a quantifiable way; Instead, the positive results of research are obtained by
entire communities in rather long periods of time, and the achievements are subjective and
qualitative (Achío, 2003: 92).