How did we ever get into this Mess? The Rise of Ethical Regulation in the Social Sciences

Abstract

Purpose – To outline the history of ethical regulation in the social sciences and to question the proportionality of its costs and benefits.

Methodology/approach – Secondary analysis of primary literature.

Findings – Ethical regulation in the social sciences has been driven more by institutional reputation management than human subject protection. It has a range of social and economic costs that have not received adequate critical appraisal.

Social implications – Ethical regulation in the social sciences may be highly damaging to a society's ability to understand itself, particularly by constraining scientific research relative to journalism or imaginative forms of communication.

Originality/value of paper – Review of the most current research and an explanation of the positive case against regulation.

Citation

Dingwall, R. (2012), "How did we ever get into this Mess? The Rise of Ethical Regulation in the Social Sciences", Love, K. (Ed.) Ethics in Social Research (Studies in Qualitative Methodology, Vol. 12), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 3-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1042-3192(2012)0000012004