research paper topics on ethics

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177 Interesting Ethics Paper Topics For Your Thesis

Ethics is a branch of study in philosophy that studies the concept of morality—what is good or bad, what is acceptable or unacceptable. It’s a philosophical theory that looks into moral rules and codes, principles, value systems, and other related concepts.

In academia, an ethical theory is used as one of the analytical tools in drawing analysis on several socio-cultural topics. Ethics can be applied to any particular subject matter in human society. And, on this, so many compelling, controversial or interesting ethical topics for academic essays and research papers have continued to spring up.

For students writing either an essay or a research paper on ethics, there are some relevant things to note about a good essay/research topic and writing a dissertation. They include:

Brainstorm on different topics Always go for a topic you are familiar with Choose a topic that has enough “flesh”. This is important as interesting topics will help you develop your essay/research Define your subject of interest. It makes the writing easier Properly researching for topics that serve contemporary social relevance Outlining is important for your research topic

What following some of these processes does for your essay/research/thesis is that it enriches your work and affords you the ability to communicate ideas clearly to readers. Here are some topics in ethics you can use for your essay/research.

Interesting Top Level Ethics Paper Topics for All Students

Writing a paper on ethics makes for an interesting writing experience because they usually require that the writer make a case for a particular subject based on whether the subject is right or wrong. There are so many ethical topics for papers. As a student, there are several ethical questions to debate, and you can choose to model your topic using some of these samples:

• Discuss what should be done concerning the rise in the ban on safe abortion
• Is the right to safe abortion practice unethical?
• Should abortion practice be promoted or championed for women in society?
• Are humans truly the root source for the issues of climate change and global warming the world is currently experiencing?
• Is it right to discriminate against the sexes?
• Is there a defining difference between sexes and gender?
• Is the practice of gender-based violence ethical?
• Should safe sexual practices be promoted?
• Sex: A Study of the growing practice of sexual relationships outside marriage
• Domestic Violence and how it can be combated
• Marijuana: The distinction to its health roles and health challenges it poses on individuals
• Is it unethical to promote capitalism and capitalist concepts?
• A Study of Racism and measures to ensure its decline
• Is it ethical to be a millionaire while there are so many less privileged people?
• A study of the ethical challenges that come with being in the academia
• Is war an ethical practice?
• Why LGBTQ+ people should not be discriminated against
• What are the ways workplace ethics can address issues of homophobia and internalized sexism?
• Is sexism in the workplace an ethical practice?
• The issue of microaggression and how it can be addressed
• A study of why workplaces need ethical conduct that monitors issues of workplace harassment
• Should salaries be uneven?
• How unethical are uneven salary payment structures?
• Should start-up tech companies hire more men for starters?
• How people can prioritize online privacy
• Is bridging online privacy unethical?
• Is the right to privacy unethical?

Engaging Ethical Dilemma Topics

As ethics deals with the debate on morals, one of the ways topics on ethics manifests is in the subject of dilemma. Topics like this focus on trying to find a suitable justification for one idea over another. There are several ethics topics to write about on this subject. Some of them include:

• Should students be allowed to bring their phones to school?
• Should parents police every social activity of their children?
• Should teachers use the cane on students as a disciplinary measure?
• Is flogging a good correctional practice?
• Should you leave your partner if they are of opposing political views?
• Should opposing religious beliefs be a deal-breaker in relationships?
• Should capitalism be abolished completely?
• Should a teacher maintain some level of friendship with their students?
• Is there any lingering importance of capitalism to society?
• Is revenge a viable option in a relationship if your partner cheats on you?
• Is sharing your experiences online the same as showing off a lifestyle?
• Should people from different religious beliefs and backgrounds partner?
• Is checking the DNA of your children important or necessary?
• Should parents enforce their children on behaviors to take up?
• Can discipline properly correct the attitudes of a child?
• Should eating junk foods be avoided completely?
• Should Halloween Trick or Treat and Costume be prioritized over Thanksgiving Dinners?
• Should children hold different religious beliefs from their parents while still young?
• Does strict parenting serve as the best way to raise a child?
• Is it important to reveal a secret to a friend or to keep one’s peace?
• Should cooking at home be prioritized over eating out?
• Is socialism a more suitable social practice than capitalism?
• Is accepting financial assistance from your parents acceptable after a certain age?
• Should school authorities seize phones brought to school?
• Is sending a child to a mixed school better than same-sex schools?
• Can afforestation alone save the world from global warming and the general climate change condition?
• Does being educated equate with being intelligent?

Ethical Issues to Write about in Your College Essay

One important thing to note about ethical topics is that they touch across so many different subjects. As a college student preparing to write an essay on ethics, rest assured as there are so many ethics ideas to write about. Here are some ethical topics to write about:

• Does Hiring female employees cover a company’s sexist motives?
• Should Actors be paid more than teachers?
• Taking medical decisions for a patient without their consent
• How ethical is the interference of the judiciary by the legislative arm of government?
• Is it ethical to fire someone due to their dress code?
• Is it unethical to wear colored hair to work?
• Is censorship ethical?
• Where does media censorship draw the line?
• Is it ethical for religious figureheads to meddle in state politics?
• Should gender be the reason why a person is restricted access to certain social privileges?
• Should sexuality be a discriminatory factor in society?
• Should companies and places of work provide counseling and therapy services for their employees?
• Can Children wear makeup on special occasions?
• Is it unethical to make medical decisions for a patient without any recognizable relatives?
• Does dress code need to affect how you are addressed?
• Should implementing ethics in sports be recommended?
• Is police brutality an ethical practice?
• The impacts of the excessive consumption of media content?
• Is the excessive use of social media healthy?
• How can companies ensure paid maternal and paternal leave?
• How can the inclusion of non-binary people in company policies promote growth?
• Is exclusion on the grounds of sexuality ethical?
• Is exclusion due to political beliefs unethical?
• How to promote ethical work culture?
• How can a company ensure that ethical practices are promoted in their companies?

Ethical Argument Topics to Write About

The best part about writing an ethical essay is that it is about anything that is of interest. An important aspect of the ethical argument topic is that it is supported with evidence. There are so many ethical topics to write about that fall within this category, and they include:

• Is the having of ethical codes and conducts important in an organization?
• Should people only implement progressive ideas to meet societal needs?
• Why LGBTQ+ should not be discriminated against
• Is it unethical to come to work late?
• Is government-sanctioned execution an ethical practice?
• Is the American incarceration system an effective corrective system?
• Is corrective rape an ethical practice?
• Should the issue of internalized homophobia be addressed?
• Internalized patriarchy and internalized homophobia, which one births one
• Should smoking weed be made legal?
• Why do the less privileged need free healthcare services
• A study of the effects of colonialism and internalized slavery
• Must aspiring journalists only focus on journalism courses?
• Addressing what it means to be of ethical behavior
• Should students be given a take-home assignment?
• Is there any academic relevance to assignments?
• Is access to free healthcare important?
• Does following the ethics code have abt social relevance?
• What role should developed countries play for developing countries?
• Is analysis writing an important aspect of literature?
• What role does ethics play in schools
• Should the address of global warming be continuous?
• Is there room for possible positive developments in global warming?
• Is the practice of ethics the same as moral teaching
• Should schools create sex education into their education curriculum

Comprehensive Ethics Debate Topics for Anyone

Just like the argumentative ethics topic, a debate topic on ethics centers majorly on choosing a part to argue for or against. This argument also is wrapped with evidence to support it. Your ethic topics can be on any subject. You can choose moral topics or any other topic with relevance. Here are some lists of ethical debate topics anyone can write on:

• Should the use of Contraceptives be promoted?
• Does legalizing weed make it any healthier?
• Should school children bring phones into school settings?
• The health impact of excessive engagement on social media
• Social relevance and importance of having ethical conducts
• Do companies with ethical conduct grow ahead
• Does ethics make a workplace safer?
• Are there importance on why sex education should be added to student’s
• Why safe abortion rights should be legalized
• Why the discrimination based on sexuality is harmful
• Why the practice of hedonism is important
• Sexual pleasure: Is it morally good?
• Is happiness dependent on an external factor?
• Why Institutionalized racism is the root cause of racism and racist beliefs
• Should the use of drugs be legalized?
• Is there any progressive importance to having a conservative view on things?
• Should social media apps allow explicit sexual content?
• Should social app builders have access to individual account
• Can homeschool match formal school training?
• Should the government ensure censorship measures?
• Is voting during elections the only form of patriotism?
• Is voting a patriotic display
• Are families allowed to have contradicting religious beliefs?
• Should state governments have any interference with the federal government?
• Should teenagers have access to contraceptives?

Good Ethical Research Papers for your Thesis or Dissertation

Writing either a thesis or a dissertation is a necessary part of academia. As a university student, you can’t graduate from only writing essays withiut writing your graduating thesis. There are so many areas your research paper about ethics can focus on. Here is a list of ethical topics:

• The contemporary relevance of applied ethics
• The psychological impacts of the proliferation of technology
• A Case Study of the legality of weed
• A multi-dimensional approach to the subject of marriage
• An ethical approach to the killing of animals
• A case study of the critical ethical debates on the use of contraception
• An analytical study of the relevance of ethical conduct in the workplace
• An investigation into the social relevance and importance of the beauty pageantry culture
• A critical study of normative ethics
• The role of applied ethics in the building of a healthy work culture
• An overview of the barriers associated with good leadership practice
• A Study of the importance of ethical practice in the healthcare system
• The study of ethics in business social responsibility
• An Overview on how Ethics promotes a saner working culture
• A look into how ethics promotes healthy social relationships
• The ethical relevance for Doctor and Patient Confidentiality
• Malpractice and Negligence an ethically challenging issue within the healthcare system
• The social and health relevance to access to free healthcare insurance
• A Study of the social relevance of ethics
• Violence: violence against animals is still abuse
• A look into strategic approaches to managing cyber crimes
• Ethic reasons for the separation of the church from politics
• Ethical Conduct: How Organizations with practicable ethics produces a toxic work environment
• A look into how Social media negatively impacts the IQ of a student
• The role of self-awareness and professional responsibility impacts social ethics in the workplace

Good Ethical Questions for Discussion

Primarily, ethics asks and answers the question of wrong or good. There are so many social issues that will make for good ethical questions for discussion. Here is a list of ethical questions for students to form insights from:

• How does ethics help to promote healthy workplace awareness?
• Does the practice of abortion negate morality?
• Is it right for a rape victim to be denied access to safe and free abortion?
• How do homophobia, racism, misogyny, and ableist practices hinder social growth?
• Should there be free access to condoms and contraceptive pills?
• Is free access to contraceptives better than the provision of menstrual materials
• How can racism be dismantled in an organization without consideration to institutionalized racism?
• How does the continuous promotion of capitalist concepts hinder societal progress?
• Does capitalism truly hinder social growth?
• Why should there be free access to contraceptive materials especially for women?
• What are the possible feasible solutions to the issue of climate change?
• Is it unethical not to share the wealth?
• Is engaging in warfare the right way to bring solutions?
• Does the use of makeup contradict the concept of beauty?
• Why are LGBTQ+ rights human rights?
• Is the legalization of cannabis ethical?
• Does the way you dress need to be the reason you are addressed a certain way?
• Are there moral problems that come with job automation?
• What can be done to combat the use of harmful substances
• Why should companies stop discriminating based on sex?
• What is the social relevance of providing workplace access?
• Why should parents and teachers stop flogging students?
• What is the distinction between discipline and strictness?
• Should religious beliefs be a dealbreaker in any relationship?

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Ethical Research Paper Topics

Table of contents

• 1 Types of Ethics
• 2 How to Select the Best Ethical Research Paper Topics?
• 3 Ethical Issues Topics
• 4 Ethical Conflicts Topics
• 5 Medical Ethics Topics
• 6 Environmental Ethics Topics
• 7 Criminal Justice Ethics Topics to Write About
• 8 Top 10 Ethics Topics to Debate
• 9 Social Responsibility Ethics Topics
• 10 Business Ethics Research Paper Topics
• 11 Sports Ethics Topics
• 12.1 First Tip
• 12.2 Second Tip
• 12.3 Third Tip
• 12.4 Fourth Tip
• 12.5 Fifth Tip
• 13 Conclusion

Ethical research paper topics cover various human, animal, and environmental rights issues. Research ethics aim to protect the well-being and rights of participants and ensure that research is conducted responsibly and accountable. In this context, ethical research paper topics can be crucial to academic inquiry and public debate.

In this text, you’ll find out about:

• Choosing a topic that aligns with personal interests  and passions can make it easier to delve deeper into any moral or immoral problems. All this contributes to the ongoing conversation around ethics and its impact on society.
• Tips for choosing ethical research paper topics include selecting a matter of personal interest. It’s also important to note relevance to society, ethical problems in different fields, appropriate scope and depth, and thorough research and analysis.
• Examples of ethical research paper topics include end-of-life issues, animal experimentation, ethics of gay marriage, ethical hacking, ethical leadership, ethical philosophy, and ethical concerns.

Types of Ethics

Several areas can be explored when choosing a topic for an ethical research paper. But if you feel overwhelmed, you can buy APA research paper to get help with your assignment. People have different areas of interest when it comes to ethics. Some people have an interest in medical ethics. It talks about things like assisted suicide, organ donation, and the use of medical technology. Other people like business ethics, which looks at how companies can be responsible and honest in their marketing. Environmental ethics is another important area. It covers topics like climate change, animal rights, and sustainability. Whatever area you choose, picking something you care about is important.

How to Select the Best Ethical Research Paper Topics?

If you are a student looking to choose the best ethical research paper topic, it cannot be easy to decide. Remember that, if stuck, buying college research papers can help you get inspired. Here are some other tips that you can follow:

• Personal Interest: It’s important to ensure your chosen topic interests you. By doing so, you will keep yourself motivated throughout the process of writing. It will help you produce a paper that is not only well-written but also engaging.
• Relevance to Society: Note to choose a topic that not only aligns with your values but is also relevant to society.
• Ethical Issues in Different Fields: While choosing a topic, consider topics related to different fields, such as teaching ethics, global warming ethics, workplace ethics, nursing ethics, virtue ethics, religious ethics, and biomedical ethics topics.
• Scope and Depth: This is a point that students often overlook; it’s important to choose a topic that is neither too narrow nor too broad. Ensure you can draft a meaningful conclusion in a research paper and that the topic is relevant enough. This will ensure that you have enough information to cover without feeling overwhelmed.
• Thorough Research and Analysis: After shortlisting your topic, conduct thorough research and analysis. This encompasses gathering relevant information and credible sources.

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Ethical Issues Topics

Ethical issues are prevalent and can arise in various fields and contexts. Understanding these issues’ impact is crucial for promoting ethical behavior and decision-making. Here are some thought-provoking ethics essay topics that can spark discussion:

• End of Life
• Animal Experimentation
• Ethics of Gay – Scientific and Ethical Criticism
• The Psychology Behind the Ethical Dilemma Situations in Law Enforcement
• The Value and Ownership of Human Tissue
• Weighing the Benefits against the Ethical Costs of the Sale of Construction Equipment in Africa
• The Use of Performance-Enhancing Drugs
• Blind Obedience
• Plagiarism Issues for Higher Education
• Resolving Ethical Business Challenges

Ethical Conflicts Topics

An ethical dilemma arises when individuals or groups are faced with a decision requiring them to weigh conflicting values per the ethical rules. These conflicts can be challenging to navigate and require careful consideration and analysis. Here are some ethical conflicts topics that can help you explore the ethical implications.

• The Picture of Dorian Gray Conflict
• Organizational Structure and Corporate Social Responsibility
• The Ethical Dilemma in Our Society
• The Psychology Behind the Law Enforcement
• Product Safety
• The Use of Deception
• Managerial Ethics & Social Responsibility
• Ethical Consumerism
• Business Ethics in the Government
• Sexual Harassment: Why Is it Wrong

Medical Ethics Topics

Medical ethics is a required field that examines healthcare professionals’ and patients’ ethical dilemmas. With the advancement of medical technology and the changing landscape of healthcare, it is important to stay up-to-date on issues such as stem cell research. Here are some medical ethics topics that can help you understand the ethical responsibilities in healthcare.

• Euthanasia Pros and Cons
• Parents who want their Babies to be Deaf Through Genetic Modification and the Role of Genetic Counseling
• Legalizing Physician-Assisted Suicide to Suffering/Terminally Ill Patients
• Implanting the VeriChip Inside the Human Body
• Informed Consent of Human Research
• Abortion Issue, Ethics, and Philosophy
• Medical Law & Ethics
• The Ethics of the Gay Gene
• Childhood Obesity: Global Epidemic and Ethical Concerns
• Medical Marijuana

Environmental Ethics Topics

Environmental ethics is a branch of philosophy that explores the ethical responsibility of human interactions with the natural world and environmental protection. Examining these issues and our moral obligation through an ethical lens is important. Here are some environmental and ethical topics that can help you understand and explore a human’s moral duties:

• Saving an Endangered Species
• Benefits of Adopting a Pet from an Animal Shelter
• Organic Foods: a Better Option for Humans and the Environment
• Environmental Racism against Native American
• Positive Effect of Veganism on the Environment
• Five Ways Immigration–Driven Population Growth Impacts Our Environment
• Overpopulation Effects on Health and the Environment
• Deforestation of Rainforests and its Effects on the Environment
• Are Self-driving Cars Good for the People, the Environment, and the Future?
• Fracking: an Environmental and Political Issue

Criminal Justice Ethics Topics to Write About

Criminal justice ethics is a field that examines the ethical dilemmas and challenges within the justice system. From the police force to the courts and prisons, many complex ethical principles must be considered. Here are some topics that can help you explore:

• Why is it Necessary to Teach Ethics in Criminal Justice Law Business and Medical
• Sexual Assault and Harassment in the Army
• Corporal Punishment as the Main Cause Behind Serial Killers
• Primary Justice Models in the American Legal System
• The Racial Injustice Existed in our Judicial System
• Winds of Change in America’s Criminal Justice System
• Sides Involved in Police Brutality
• Racial Profiling Within the Criminal Justice System
• Gender Equality and Crime
• Domestic Terrorism in the Land of the Free

Top 10 Ethics Topics to Debate

Debating ethical problems is an effective way to explore different perspectives on complex ethical questions and moral issues. From personal values to societal norms, many ethical norms and ethical obligations can spark debates. Here are the top 10 topics worth debating and ethical analysis for your ethics essay:

• Christian Ethics
• Mandatory Organ Donation: Ethical or Unethical
• Free Will and Ethics in the Catholic Church
• Social and Ethical Implications of GMOs
• The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
• Using Animals for Medical Testing is both Ethical and Essential?
• Taboos in Religion, Reincarnation, and Other Beliefs
• Single Gender Schools: a Better Learning Environment?
• Modern Society Limits
• Abortion Issue, Ethics, And Philosophy

Social Responsibility Ethics Topics

Moral problems and moral Responsibility in society mean that everyone has a duty. They should act in the best interests of society and the environment. This concept has become increasingly important in modern business and society. This is because individuals and companies are being held accountable for poor ethical values. Here are some interesting ethics topics:

• Different Perspectives on the Concept of Corporate Social Responsibility
• Research Related to Responsibility to Protect and the Role of Major Powers
• What is Responsibility, and why is it important
• The Importance of Respect
• Value transmission in Multinational Corporations
• Freedom and Responsibility in Sartre
• Adolf Hitler and Responsibility for the Holocaust
• Understanding of Responsibility for Social and Economic Justice
• The Global Responsibility for the Refugee Crisis
• A Comprehensive Prison Reform to Help Reduce the Number of Inmates Detained in Prison

Business Ethics Research Paper Topics

Business ethics is the study of ethical principles and moral values in business. With the increasing focus on sustainability and corporate social responsibility, the importance of business ethics has increased. Here are some of the top business ethics topics that can help you analyze and understand the ethical dilemma topics in business:

• A Review of Business Ethics in Chase
• Business Ethics in Negotiations
• Stability of Business Ethics in Organizations
• Business Ethics Discussion at Walmart INC
• Adherence to Generally Accepted Concepts of Business Ethics
• Legal Aspects of Business Ethics
• Business Ethics and Social Responsibility
• Review on Businesses Without Values and Ethics
• The Relevancy of Ethics for Business Decisions
• Ethics and the Business Professional

Tech Ethical Problems Research Topics

The advancement of technology and the growth of tech companies has brought about many ethical challenges. Many ethical theories need to be addressed. From privacy concerns to using artificial intelligence, use of ethics boards, and computer crimes, it is important to examine these issues from an ethical standpoint. Here are some tech ethics paper topics for you:

• Policies, Ethics, and Promises: Improving Techfite’s Reputation and Morale
• Education System and Educational Technologies
• Steve Jobs and the Technological Revolution
• An Issue of Social Media and Cyber Crimes
• AI as the Future of Technology and a Big Asset for IBM
• The Impact of Technology on our Daily Lives: Advancements and Challenges
• Cybercrimes: an Unprecedented Threat to the Society
• Is Technology Bringing Us Closer to the World of Big Brother
• Home Depot’s Technological Solution to Discrimination in the Workplace
• Influence of Technologies on People

Sports Ethics Topics

Sports ethics is a field that explores the moral and ethical dimensions of sports and athletic competition. The topics can be related to an athlete’s responsibility of ethics in conducting professional sports events. Here are some sports ethics research paper topics that can help you explore:

• Inequality of Pay in Sports
• Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere
• Compensation of College Athletes
• Gender And Sexuality In Sport In the 21st Century
• Wheelchair Basketball Game While Disabled
• Gender Inequality In Athletic Sports
• College And African American Male: Basketball Athletes
• Gender Wage Gap Within Sports
• The Way People View Women In Sports
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) And Its Impact On Women In Sports

Tips for Choosing a Good Ethics Research Paper Topic

Choosing a good topic is important, as it will impact the direction of your research and the quality of your paper. Here are some tips to help you choose a good moral ethics topic for your academic writing.

Choose a topic that interests you. Selecting a topic you are passionate about is important, as it will keep you motivated throughout the research and writing process. Consider your experiences, interests, or current events that spark your curiosity.

Narrow down your focus. Ethics is a broad field, and it can be overwhelming to tackle large ethical topics. Instead, focus on a specific aspect or issue within the field of ethics. This will allow you to produce a more comprehensive paper.

Consider the relevance and significance of the topic. Look for topics relevant to contemporary society or currently being debated. You can also consider issues that have not yet received much attention in research. Good ethical research papers help you explore a moral and immoral problem.

Ensure that there is enough information available on the topic. Make sure that your paper’s format follows the guidelines; you can check how to cite an article to ensure that everything is on-point. Before you decide on a topic, conduct a preliminary search to ensure enough credible sources available on the subject matter.

Choose a topic that aligns with your research goals and objectives. Your research paper should have a clear purpose and intent. Thus, select a topic to enable you to achieve those goals. Also, note that the conclusion in research papers must be solid and comprehensive. Finally, it is important to ensure that the case aligns with the guidelines and requirements of your course.

To sum up, picking a topic for your ethics research paper can be difficult, but there are tips in this article that can help. Try looking into various fields. These include medical ethics, friendship ethics, pregnancy ethics, genetic engineering research, capital punishment, racial conflicts, etc. You can encourage critical thinking by examining ethical issues like these. You can also start conversations and make a big difference in the ongoing discussions about ethics and how it affects society.

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Formidable Ethical Research Paper Topics For You!

Students in every course highly seek ethical research paper topics. Why may you ask? It is because every class, or rather, every career requires a particular set of ethical standards.

However, coming across some easy ethical research paper topics may not be that easy after all. Lucky for you, this splendid and reputable post will solve that in a moment.

Before that, how do you write an ethical research paper?

How To Write an Ethical Research Paper (Simply)

The following quick guidelines will give you an overview of how such a paper resembles and what you should do.

• Choose a captivating topic on ethics
• Formulate an outline
• Start writing with a hook introduction
• Proceed on with a descriptive body
• Finish with a momentous conclusion
• Proofread the final copy

Nothing more or less of that, and you will have your perfect ethical research paper. In this post, we will show some great moral issue research paper topics that you can choose from later.

Stay with me now as we explore these great ideas together. Remember to remain hawk-eyed lest you miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Prerequisite Steps to Choosing a Topic for an Ethics Research Paper

Before arriving at your topic, the following ideas will be useful:

• Have a look at the available materials
• Do critical thinking on the possible ideas
• Choose one out of the many

It is vital to ensure that your topic is original to avoid running into plagiarism claims. Furthermore, a brief problem will attract readers at first sight. The word length of the topic matters. Very great topics are a huge turn off to most readers; therefore, keep it short and to the point.

50 Ethical Issues Topics for a Research Paper

We shall tackle them according to subcategories so that you do not get confused along the way. Here we go then.

Ethical Hacking Research Paper Topics

• Goals of security in ethical hacking
• World’s most significant data breaches
• Viruses and malware to watch out for in 2023
• Assessing an organization’s vulnerability to cyber attacks
• How much time should an organization perform a backup every day?
• A case study of the qualitative risk assessment methods
• Disadvantages of black-box testing
• Does ethical hacking exist?
• How did ethical hacking come to be?
• Ethical hacking: Is it worth it?

Ethical Leadership Research Paper Topics

• Ethical leadership: The barriers to successful leadership
• The place of moral leadership in corrupt countries
• Rethinking ethical leadership in the 21st century
• Impact of Leadership courses on ethical leading
• How a teacher’s ethical behavior impacts students
• Is ethical leadership practiced in universities?
• Ethical leadership and employee relationships
• A case study of companies practicing ethical leadership and their performance
• Leadership lessons from Nelson Mandela: A case study
• A review of the relationship between moral and relational leadership

Ethical Egoism Research Paper Topics

• A comparison between ethical Egoism versus virtue ethics
• Ethical Egoism: A philosophical position
• Crime and Ethical Egoism
• Contrast between Ethical Egoism and Psychological Egoism
• Impact of ethical Egoism in business
• Thoughtful commentary on ethical Egoism
• Ethics and morality compared
• What is Ethical Egoism and What it Is Not
• A study of ethical egoism theories
• Contribution of a song to ethical egoism theory

Controversial Ethical Topics for Research Paper

• Is plastic surgery ethical?
• The impact of capital punishment on primary human rights
• Why genetic cloning is not to be pursued in the future
• Is abortion legal or illegal?
• Is human trafficking justified in any law?
• How safe is animal testing for humans?
• Is genetic cloning interfering with Mother Nature?
• Impact of ethnic adoption on a child’s development
• Are pills doing us more harm than good?
• Is a person justified to take his or her life?

Interesting Ethical Issues Topics for Research Paper

• What is the ethical impact of organ donation?
• The view of Catholicism on homosexuality
• Should we help strangers anywhere whenever we meet them?
• Should there be rich and poor people in the same country?
• Should newspapers and televisions show pictures of caskets?
• Should people leave their contact information at entrances?
• Who is responsible for the moral ethics of children: Parents or teachers?
• Should you report a close family friend involved in crime?
• Are politicians free to make campaigns in church?
• Is assisted suicide not the same as murder?

Ethics focuses on the shades of gray rather than black and white. Students should choose a research topic bearing in mind the implications carefully. The language used in an ethical research paper should also be prudent enough to prevent lawsuits.

Ethics Research Topics Are Here!

Ethical issues are all around us, and we cannot be ignorant of them. However, good ethical topics for a research paper require a keen eye on the student’s part. Haphazardness is not entertained in such an essay as it would amount to gross misconduct.

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376 Ethical Topics & Questions for Research Papers, Essays, Debates, & More

Are there white lies with good intentions? Should euthanasia be permitted by law?

Both of these questions are ethical dilemmas – situations with two or more conflicting moral choices. Ethical dilemmas involve conflicting values and moral obligations. To ease the understanding of such predicaments, you can approach ethics (or moral philosophy). This branch of philosophy suggests the concepts of good and bad and provides theories to determine moral behavior.

In this article, we will explore different ethical topics and theories applicable to them. You will also find practical tips on how to write an essay on the most complex ethical issue. Let’s start!

• 💥 TOP 12 Ethical Topics

📚 Normative Ethical Theories

• 🤔 How to Answer Ethical Dilemmas

📝 Ethical Research Paper Topics

🧑🏾‍⚕️ ethical topics in healthcare.

• 🌳 Environmental Ethical Issues

🖥️ Ethical Topics in Technology

⚡ ethical argument topics.

• 🏺 Philosophy Essay Topics
• 👩🏽‍🎓 Ethical Questions for Students

💬 Ethical Persuasive Speech Topics

🔦 ethical topics for presentation, ❓ ethical questions: faq, 🔗 references, 💥 top-12 ethical topics.

Here are some ethical topics that are popular for discussion in 2023:

• Privacy concerns in social media advertisement.
• Ethics of using artificial intelligence for marketing.
• Digital surveillance and personal data protection.
• Genetic engineering and ethical boundaries.
• Ethical issues in educational technology.
• Ethical challenges in healthcare data sharing.
• Environmental ethics and sustainable development.
• Ethical dilemmas of autonomous vehicles.
• Bioethics in medical research and experimentation.
• Ethical considerations in cybersecurity practices.
• Ethical concerns in the use of big data.
• Ethical implications of blockchain technology.

Normative ethical theories provide principles or guidelines for determining what is morally right or wrong. There are three broad (and competing) groups of ethical theories:

• Consequentialism believes that the consequences of an action determine its moral value.
• Deontology emphasizes adherence to moral rules and duties.
• Virtue ethics focuses on developing moral character and embodying virtuous traits.

🤔 How to Answer Ethical Dilemma Questions

Sometimes it seems that ethical dilemmas don’t have the right answers . But you can choose the best one for yourself if you establish a certain decision-making algorithm.

To answer ethical dilemma questions, follow these steps:

Below, you will see lists of ethical topics from different areas of human knowledge and activities. There are plenty of topics to write about, no matter what your focus of study is.

Ethical Topics in Business

• Corporate social responsibility in multinational companies.
• The role of business ethics in insurance companies .
• Ethical challenges in international supply chain management.
• Transparency and accountability in financial reporting.
• The role of business ethics in recruiting new employees using social media .
• Workplace diversity and inclusion ethics in the USA.
• Data privacy and security of employees in the workplace.
• Global warming and business ethics .
• Bribery and corruption in business transactions.
• Whistleblowing and ethical reporting mechanisms.
• Business ethics: Indian tea plantation workers .
• Ethical considerations in advertising and marketing practices.
• Fairtrade and ethical sourcing in global business.
• Business ethics of concealing facts in reports .
• Ethical leadership and decision-making in organizations.

Ethical Fashion Topics

• Sustainability and eco-friendly practices in fashion.
• Maintaining ethical standards in fashion .
• Ethical implications of fast fashion and overconsumption.
• Fair wages and labor rights in garment manufacturing.
• Supply chain as a crucial component of sustainability in the fashion industry .
• Animal cruelty-free and ethical sourcing of materials.
• Transparency in supply chains and traceability of products.
• Child labor in the fashion industry .
• Body image and ethical representation in fashion advertising.
• Recycling and upcycling in the fashion industry.
• Overseas sweatshops in the fashion industry .
• Cultural appropriation and respect for traditional designs.
• Ethical considerations in fashion collaborations and partnerships.
• Fashion Nova’s labor standards and transparency .
• Fashion industry’s impact on local communities and artisans.

Ethical Issues in Criminal Justice Topics

• Use of force and police brutality in the United States.
• The code of ethics in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice .
• Racial profiling and discriminatory practices in law enforcement.
• Ethical considerations in undercover operations and informant handling.
• Criminal justice: philosophies of corrections .
• Integrity and honesty in witness testimony and evidence presentation.
• Ethical challenges in the use of informants and confidential sources.
• Professional ethics in criminal justice: Singleton vs. Norris .
• Juvenile justice and ethical treatment of young offenders.
• Capital punishment and ethical implications of the death penalty.
• Criminal justice ethics: police corruption & drug sales .
• Ethical issues in plea bargaining and prosecutorial discretion.
• Ethical responsibilities of defense attorneys and client representation.
• The criminal justice service violations and ethical issues .
• Rehabilitation and ethical approaches to offender reintegration.

Media Ethics Paper Topics

• Accuracy and fact-checking in media reporting.
• Communication and social media ethics in the United Arab Emirates .
• Journalism ethics in the era of misinformation.
• Privacy concerns and ethical boundaries in media coverage.
• Media ethics: censorship of online material and behavior .
• Ethical considerations in photojournalism and image manipulation.
• Sensationalism and ethical dilemmas in news reporting.
• Media ethics: principle of privacy .
• Conflict of interest and transparency in media ownership.
• Diversity and representation in media storytelling and content.
• Mass media ethics in news coverage .
• Ethical challenges in social media and online journalism.
• Intellectual property and plagiarism in media production.
• Media censorship in the US .
• The role of media in promoting ethical discourse.

Ethics in healthcare ensures that medical professionals prioritize patient well-being, maintain confidentiality, and make decisions rooted in moral principles. Choose one of the topics below for a paper on ethics in medicine:

• Informed consent and patient autonomy in healthcare decisions.
• Healthcare ethics: physician-assisted death .
• Ethical considerations in end-of-life care and medical assistance.
• Allocation of scarce resources and equitable healthcare distribution.
• Abortion: an ethical dilemma .
• Confidentiality and privacy of patient health information.
• Ethical challenges in clinical research and human experimentation.
• Medical ethics: implications of a confidentiality breach .
• Ethics of physician-assisted suicide in healthcare.
• Organ transplantation and ethical considerations in donor selection.
• Obamacare and healthcare reform: ethical challenges .
• Ethical dilemmas in reproductive medicine and assisted reproduction .
• Cultural competence and ethical practices in healthcare delivery.
• Medical ethics: pet euthanasia .
• Ethical considerations in the use of emerging technologies in healthcare.

Ethical Topics in Nursing

• Ethical considerations of artificial intelligence in nursing care.
• Nursing ethics in patient advocacy .
• Understanding and managing confidentiality breaches in nursing.
• Ethical implications of assisted suicide for nursing practice.
• Hospice care and nursing ethics provisions .
• The moral dilemma of resource allocation in nursing.
• Addressing the tension between cultural sensitivity and medical guidelines.
• Euthanizing handicapped people: ethical and moral concerns .
• Discussing the impact of health inequities on nursing ethics.
• Ethical challenges in implementing telehealth in nursing.
• Circumcision: ethical dilemma and a nurse’s role in it .
• The moral landscape of mandatory vaccination for nurses.
• The nursing profession’s role in addressing medical errors.
• Ethic-of-care and ethic-of-justice in nursing leadership .
• Exploring the nurse’s role in patient advocacy.

Biomedical Ethics Topics

• Impact of gene editing on the future of healthcare.
• Cryonics and its ethical side .
• Ethical issues surrounding prenatal genetic testing.
• The role of bioethics in emerging infectious diseases.
• Embryo harvesting: ethical implications .
• Ethical challenges in stem cell research .
• Ethical considerations in human organ and tissue transplantation.
• Bioethics: the use of marijuana for medical purposes .
• Privacy and consent in the age of digital health data.
• Addressing animal rights in the context of biomedical research.
• Neuroimaging methods and arising ethical issues .
• The ethics of personalized medicine and genetic discrimination.
• Bioethics of advancements in neurotechnology and brain-computer interfaces.
• Cloning research ethics: ethical dispute and issues .
• The ethics of extending human lifespan through biotechnology.
• Surgery complications and bioethical decision-making .

🌳 Environmental Ethical Issues Topics

Environmental ethics guide individuals and organizations to act responsibly towards the planet. Such actions promote sustainable practices and biodiversity conservation and mitigate the adverse impacts of human activities on ecosystems. Here is a list of ethical environmental topics for research:

• Ethical responsibility for climate change for future generations.
• Sea dumping: legal and ethical issues .
• The role of environmental justice in urban planning.
• Ethical considerations in the use and disposal of plastics.
• The issue of global climate change from an ethical perspective .
• Implications of luxury fashion on the environment and ethics.
• The ethical responsibility of corporations in pollution.
• Land use and environmental ethics .
• The intersection of environmental ethics and indigenous rights.
• The ethical debate surrounding geoengineering as a climate solution.
• Environmental ethics: genetically modified organisms .
• The moral duty towards the preservation of biodiversity.
• Ethical considerations in the transition to renewable energy sources.
• Environmental ethics: intrinsic value of objects .
• The role of capitalism in environmental degradation.
• Commercial fishing: environmental ethics case study .

Animal Ethics Topics

• Ethical considerations in the treatment of companion animals.
• Nestlé animal testing and business ethics .
• The role of ethics in wildlife conservation efforts.
• The ethics of animal testing in scientific research.
• Ethical issues in animal research .
• The environmental and ethical impact of factory farming.
• The moral status of animals in ecological ethics.
• Is animal testing ethical ?
• Ethical approaches to invasive species management.
• Addressing the ethical implications of zoos and animal captivity.
• Ethics of using animals in medical research .
• The ethical debate around hunting as a conservation strategy.
• Ethics of the human-wildlife conflict resolution.
• Scientific experiments on animals from ethical perspectives .
• The moral side of animal cloning and bioengineering.

Food Ethics Topics

• Ethical concerns of genetically modified foods’ impact on the environment.
• Underweight products and deontological ethics .
• Food waste and its ethical concerns.
• The ethical debate on organic versus conventional farming.
• Ethical eating in daily food practices .
• The ethical and ecological effects of the meat industry.
• Balancing the demand for seafood with sustainable practices.
• Food safety issues in modern agriculture .
• The ethics of the global food supply chain in developing countries.
• Evaluation of the environmental ethics of palm oil production.
• Food ads ban for childhood obesity prevention .
• Food sovereignty and its significance in ecological ethics.
• The ethical implications of mono-cropping and biodiversity loss.
• Do marketers condition us to buy more junk food ?
• Ethical dilemmas in the use of pesticides in agriculture.

In the technology sphere , ethics can influence the development and use of innovations. Ethical approach ensures privacy protection and promotes inclusive technology solutions. Below, you will find several topic lists regarding ethics in technology:

Computer Science Ethics Topics

• The ethical concerns of artificial intelligence development.
• Electronic surveillance as an unethical practice .
• Outdoor privacy and surveillance in the digital age.
• The ethics of data collection and use by tech companies.
• Computer attacks and critical privacy threats .
• Implications of autonomous vehicles on societal ethics and safety.
• Ethical considerations in the development and use of deepfakes.
• Obscenity and computer ethics .
• Cybersecurity and ethical considerations in protecting user data.
• The ethics of algorithmic bias in machine learning.
• Computer ethics and privacy .
• Ethical challenges in the application of facial recognition technology.
• The responsibility of tech companies in spreading disinformation.
• Computer ethics and data protection .
• The ethics behind AI’s influence on job displacement and unemployment.

Aviation Ethics Topics

• Ethical challenges of automation in aviation safety.
• Aviation security and Al-Qaeda in Yemen .
• The balance between profitability and safety in commercial aviation.
• Ethical responsibilities of air traffic controllers.
• Safety risks in the modern aviation industry .
• Ethical considerations in the age of crewless aerial vehicles.
• Ethics of environmental sustainability in the aviation industry.
• Criminalization of aviation accidents .
• Ethical challenges in aviation maintenance practices.
• The moral dilemma of overbooking flights in the airline industry.
• Aviation security is over-reliant on technology .
• Ethical issues in the crisis management in aviation.
• The role of whistleblowers in promoting aviation safety.
• Sustainability in global aviation companies .
• Ethical implications of advanced surveillance technologies in aviation security.

Engineering Ethics Research Paper Topics

• Navigating the ethics of autonomous vehicles in society.
• Engineering professionalism and ethics .
• The role of ethics in sustainable engineering practices.
• Ethical considerations in the age of artificial intelligence engineering.
• Chernobyl disaster and engineering ethics .
• Conflicts between innovation and safety in civil engineering projects.
• The responsibility of engineers in managing climate change.
• Engineering ethics: patent rights and legal issues .
• Ethical challenges in the disclosure of engineering failures.
• The implications of biotechnology in bioengineering ethics.
• Machinery accident from an ethical standpoint .
• The role of ethics in software engineering and data privacy.
• Ethical considerations in the use of drones for engineering.
• Ethical manufacturing and technology trends .
• The ethical dilemmas in nuclear engineering.
• Engineering competence and the code of ethics .
• The ethics of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
• Circumcision: medical, ethical, and human rights issues .
• Should artificial intelligence be allowed to make life-or-death decisions?
• Do celebrities have a moral responsibility to be role models?
• Nightingale Pledge: medical ethics perspectives .
• The ethical debate on privacy versus security in the digital age.
• Are autonomous vehicles a boon or a bane for society?
• Hurricane Katrina: government ethical dilemmas .
• Should schools be allowed to use surveillance cameras on students?
• Is it ethical to use animals for scientific experimentation?
• Debate on circumcision: is it unethical and unlawful ?
• Is the use of gene editing in babies ethically acceptable?
• Is it ethically right to deny healthcare based on lifestyle choices?
• Samsung and child labor: business ethics case .
• The ethics of commercialization of organ transplants.
• Are social platforms ethically responsible for the spread of fake news?
• Obesity in Afro-Americans: ethics of intervention .
• Should governments be allowed to censor the internet for national security?
• Is it ethically right to use facial recognition technology in public?
• Fetal abnormality and the ethical dilemma of abortion .
• Is it ethical to prioritize economic growth over environmental sustainability?
• The ethical implications of giving minorities benefits in college admissions.
• Discrimination as an unethical business situation .
• Should companies have the right to track their employees’ online activities?
• The ethical debate on the death penalty as a justice form.
• Ethical dilemmas in business: KFC Company’s case .
• Is it ethically acceptable to use AI for predictive policing ?
• Should parents have the right to choose their child’s genetic traits?
• The relationship between economic rationality and ethical behaviour .
• Is it ethically right to implement social credit systems in society?

🏺 Philosophy Essay Topics: Ethics

• The role of cultural relativism in moral philosophy.
• Aristotle’s views on ethics .
• Ethics of the philosophy of existentialism.
• Kantian ethics in contemporary society.
• Kant’s deontological ethical theory .
• The use of virtue ethics in modern moral dilemmas.
• The influence of Stoicism on contemporary ethical thinking.
• Cicero’s views on citizenship and ethics .
• The ethical debate on utilitarianism versus deontology .
• The philosophical implications of moral objectivism versus moral subjectivism.
• Kant’s and Mill’s ethical philosophies .
• Ethical implications of free will in the era of AI.
• The philosophy of ethical egoism in capitalist societies.
• Aristotle’s ethical theory about euthanasia .
• The relevance of Nietzsche’s master-slave morality in modern ethics.
• The role of empathy in moral philosophy and ethics.
• Moral philosophical views: from Plato to Nussbaum .
• Ethical questions raised by determinism and indeterminism.
• The influence of Eastern philosophies on contemporary ethics.
• Aristotle and virtue ethics .
• The role of ethics in postmodern philosophy.
• The ethics of responsibility in existentialist thought.
• Theories of ethics: consequentialism and ethical relativism .
• Moral obligations towards future generations in environmental ethics.
• Individual ethics versus collective ethics.
• Philosophical views of ethics and morality .
• Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia in modern society.
• The ethical questions raised by the philosophy of solipsism.
• Nonconsequential theory of ethics: case analysis .
• The ethics of hedonism in contemporary societies.

👩🏽‍🎓 List of Ethical Questions for Students

We have ensured that you can find the perfect ethical topic depending on the type of assignment you received. You can find debate, discussion, speech, and presentation topics here.

Ethical Debate Topics

• What are the ethical implications of capital punishment?
• Fetus with deformities: what is its moral status ?
• Should there be a moral limit to scientific discoveries?
• Is it ethical to use animals in circus performances?
• How do ethical theories view gay marriage ?
• Is the commercialization of human organs ethical?
• Is it ethical to use DNA from extinct species?
• Should parents be responsible for children’s crimes ?
• Should physicians be allowed to assist in patient suicide?
• Is it ethical to clone humans for medical purposes?
• Should parents spank their children ?
• Is the use of child labor ethical?
• Should religious beliefs influence public health policy?
• Why should you be moral when it is not in your best interest to do so ?
• Should gene editing in unborn children be allowed?
• Is it ethical to implement robotic soldiers in warfare?
• Should the United States abolish the death penalty ?
• Is euthanasia in terminally ill patients ethical?
• Should society implement universal basic income?
• Should the sale of human organs be legalized ?
• Is it ethical to design babies with specific traits?
• Is the censorship of artistic expression ethical?
• Should animals be used in medical research ?

Ethical Discussion Topics

• The ethical implications of social media on personal privacy.
• Should sex and violence be restricted on television ?
• How should we address ethical issues in global outsourcing?
• The ethical implications of data breaches and digital privacy.
• Should same-sex couples be allowed to adopt children ?
• The ethics of sustainable consumption of electronic devices.
• The ethics of wealth disparity in capitalist societies.
• Should we not abolish capital punishment ?
• The role of ethics in sustainable development and climate change.
• Ethical considerations of health disparities in society.
• Should smoking be illegal ?
• Ethical considerations of pandemic response and vaccine distribution.
• The role of ethics in animal rights and testing.
• Should parents avoid vaccinating their children ?
• Ethical considerations in the rise of the gig economy.
• The ethical implications of facial recognition technology in public.
• The right-to-die bill: why should all states pass it ?
• Ethical dilemmas in genetic testing and personalized medicine.
• The role of ethics in global migration and refugee crisis.
• Should cigarette manufacturers be prohibited ?
• The ethics of using AI in predictive policing.
• The ethical considerations of child labor in global supply chains.
• Should Kant be criticized for his absolutism ?
• Why should animal testing for cosmetics be globally banned?
• Corporate fraud as an ethical and leadership dilemma .
• The need for ethical considerations in AI development.
• Why the right to privacy should be prioritized in the digital age?
• Stem cell research ethics, pros and cons, and benefits .
• The importance of ethical farming practices for a sustainable future.
• Why must corporations take responsibility for their carbon emissions?
• Ethics of Obamacare and Trumpcare .
• The necessity of ethical treatment of workers in global supply chains.
• The importance of ethical considerations in medical research.
• Should Americans adopt a vegan lifestyle ?
• Why should technology companies be held accountable for data breaches?
• The need for ethical standards in reporting and journalism.
• Should we withhold life support ?
• Why should businesses prioritize corporate social responsibility?
• The importance of ethical considerations in education system reforms.
• Should children be tried as adults for murder ?
• Why should organ donation be encouraged as an ethical duty?
• The necessity of transparency in governmental decision-making.
• Ethical dilemma: should gene editing be performed on human embryos ?
• Why should we consider the ethical implications of autonomous weapons?
• The importance of sustainable consumption in the fight against climate change.
• Animal testing for cosmetic or medical purposes should not be allowed .
• Why should we prioritize ethics in the fashion industry?
• The necessity for implementing ethical norms in genetic engineering.
• Should human cloning be allowed ?
• Why should we consider ethical implications of wealth disparity ?
• The importance of ethically addressing refugee and migration crises.
• How much should we do for our fellow men ?
• The necessity of ethical governance in the use of facial recognition.
• Ethical concerns in using virtual reality for psychological treatment.
• Patient’s violence and the use of doctor force – medical ethics .
• The role of ethical dilemmas in shaping public policy.
• The ethical issues and carbon footprint of global supply chains.
• British Petroleum: corruption involving ethics .
• The ethical implications of data breaches in technology companies.
• The ethical landscape of genetic engineering.
• Domino’s Pizza: ethical dilemma case .
• Ethical considerations in the use of personal data for political microtargeting.
• Evaluating the ethical considerations in predictive policing.
• The code of ethics of the American Nurses Association .
• The role of ethics in responsible journalism and fake news.
• The ethics of personalized pricing based on consumer data analysis.
• Apple Corporation: ethical and social responsibility .
• Ethical implications of intensive livestock farming on animal welfare.
• Visualizing the environmental impact of single-use plastics in marine ecosystems.
• Business ethics and dilemmas in the film Michael Clayton .
• Ethical considerations in access to healthcare for marginalized populations.
• Ethical dimensions of cultural appropriation.
• International legal and ethical issues in business .
• The role of ethics in organ donation and transplantation.
• The ethical implications of economic disparity in capitalist societies.
• Chevron Company: ethical analysis .
• Ethical considerations in journalism and media ethics.
• The role of ethics in sustainable development and consumption.
• College sport: ethical issues .
• Visualizing the environmental impact of fast fashion through data.
• Ethical dilemmas in pharmaceutical industry marketing strategies.
• Ethical dilemmas in Shakespeare’s Hamlet .
• The ethical challenges in the education reform policies.

What Are Ethical Questions?

Ethical questions are inquiries that explore moral issues, challenging us to consider right and wrong, good and bad. They often deal with dilemmas where a decision about the appropriate behavior or action must be made. Ethical questions are relevant in many fields, such as business, healthcare, politics, science, and education.

What Are the Seven Ethical Principles?

The seven ethical principles are common guidelines in ethical decision-making across various fields:

• Autonomy – respect for individuals’ right to decide for themselves.
• Beneficence – obligation to promote well-being and good.
• Non-maleficence – duty to cause no harm.
• Justice – ensuring fairness and equitable distribution of resources.
• Fidelity – maintaining loyalty and keeping promises.
• Veracity – commitment to truthfulness and honesty.
• Confidentiality – respecting the privacy of others.

What Are Some Ethical Topics?

Ethical topics cover a broad spectrum of issues across multiple domains. In healthcare, topics like euthanasia, patient confidentiality, and genetic engineering are common. In business, we discuss corporate social responsibility, whistleblowing, and fair trade. Environmental ethics covers animal rights, sustainability, and climate change. In technology, topics like data privacy, AI ethics, and cybersecurity are popular.

• Ethics Awareness: UC San Diego  
• Solving Ethical Dilemmas; Ethics in Law Enforcement  
• A Framework for Ethical Decision Making – Markkula Center for Applied Ethics  
• 5 Ethical Issues in Technology to Watch for in 2023 | CompTIA    
• The Very Best 127 Philosophical Questions 2023  
• Identifying Ethical Issues; Exploring Business  
• How to Write About an Ethical Dilemma – Synonym  
• The RIGHT Decision Method: An approach for solving ethical dilemmas | Institute on Community Integration Publications  
• A Brief Guide to Writing the Philosophy Paper | Harvard College Writing Center  
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Ethics Topics for Research Papers: 140+ Ideas

Derived from the Greek word “ethos,” meaning “way of living,” ethics is a branch of philosophy that involves well-founded standards of right and wrong, as well as just and unjust behaviors. By defining concepts such as right, wrong, vice, justice, and crime, ethics examines an individual’s behavior in society.

When writing an ethics research paper, the first step is to come up with an appropriate ethics topic. Framing a research project on ethics requires understanding essential principles like honesty, morals, and integrity, and demonstrating the findings needed to support your hypothesis. This fundamental research can be challenging for many students, particularly those who have chosen complex research topics. Therefore, the first step is brainstorming excellent ethical topics to transform this challenging process into a smooth journey.

With this in mind, we are here to help ease this burden. This blog post compiles over 140+ captivating ethics topics across various disciplines. Each of these topics will assist you in writing a persuasive research paper that will captivate your readers and impress your professors.

Table of Contents

Ethics Comes in a Variety of Forms

Over the centuries, different philosophers have proposed numerous ethical theories. Before diving into the ethical topics that we have categorized, it is crucial to understand the various types of ethics. Ethics can be broadly classified into four branches, as follows:

Descriptive ethics: This branch of ethics deals with the theory that explains the moral norms, attitudes, and practices that societies believe to be right or wrong. It examines how people actually behave and the moral standards they claim to follow.

Normative or prescriptive ethics: The study of “norms” or “principles” that determine what is morally right or wrong and accordingly holds individuals accountable. In simpler terms, this is the study of “ethical actions.” Deontological ethics, virtue ethics, consequentialism, and Nishkam Karmayoga are some examples of normative theories.

Meta-ethics: Meta-ethics studies the nature of ethics as a whole. This branch of ethics analyzes the foundations of our ethical principles and why we use them daily. It involves the investigation of the meaning and justification of moral claims, as well as the nature of moral values and properties.

Applied ethics: This is the most practical branch of ethics. Applied ethics involves the general principles that we apply in our daily lives. This branch deals with the philosophical examination, from a moral standpoint, of specific issues in various fields, such as medicine, business, and the environment.

Selecting the Right Research Topic in Ethics

To create an engaging research paper, the initial step is to select a high-quality research topic that will make your research stand out from the crowd. To score excellent grades, you must develop captivating ethics topics of your choice. Here are a few tips that will help you choose the best option among all the ethics paper topics:

• When framing an ethical research paper, consider choosing a research topic with enough supporting facts, evidence, and details. Avoid any false or fabricated data, as it can ruin the credibility of your paper.
• Select topics involving complex on-going issues or moral quandaries, as they would pique the interest of your professors. Look for topics that are occasionally covered by the media.
• Try to write your research concisely, making it interesting, informative, and relevant. Overly long research is a major turnoff for readers.
• Search for unsolved research paradigms that will allow you to include your opinions and arguments.
• Engage in critical thinking on the best topics. Narrow down some of the best topics that spark your and your readers’ interests and will expand their knowledge.

Identifying the perfect topic that suits all your requirements can be challenging. You can use the tips mentioned above to identify the best topics that meet your needs. However, depending on individual students, this process can still be time-consuming. Instead of brainstorming for hours, delving into research, and writing lengthy research papers , you can seek professional assistance from our research paper writers.

140+ Ethics Topics for Research Papers

Crafting a research paper on ethics can be more challenging than it initially appears. This is because, while most people understand basic ethical values, their interpretations can vary significantly. Ethics is not just about black and white; it delves much deeper into the shades of grey. In this article, our experts from Edumagnate.com have provided you with an extensive list of ethics topics to help jumpstart your research paper. For a better understanding, we recommend reading through each list thoroughly.

Compelling Topics on Ethical Issues

Ethical dilemmas arise when individuals must evaluate whether their actions are morally right. Topics related to such dilemmas often explore complex questions, requiring one to defend their position convincingly. These ethical issues span various fields, including religion, psychology, and sociology. Consequently, incorporating perspectives from these disciplines can help create a unique and insightful research paper.

• Ethical Codes for Sports Refereeing
• Ethical issues in animal research
• The ethical issues with euthanasia
• Ethical Issues in Sports Administration
• Legal Ethics in National and international businesses
• Organizational Ethics and Individual Responsibility
• Understanding sports ethics as a significant tool for accessing moral behavior in sports
• The Ethical Challenges and Controversies of Healthcare Reform
• The Challenge of Terri Schiavo from an ethical perspective
• The Ethical Issues of Pharmaceutical Companies
• Ethical Issues with Abortion
• Sports ethics: use of drugs in sports competition
• Healthcare systems and associated healthcare ethics
• Ethical and cultural issues with group work
• Political and socioeconomic issues amongst different nations
• Religion and Ethics in healthcare provisions
• Ethical Issues and Concerns of a professional sports person
• The ethical side of Motorsports
• The foundation of computer ethics

Since ethics is a branch of philosophy, students can also consider choosing philosophy research topics.

Social Media Business Ethics Topics

To make things easier, our experts have enumerated a list of the most interesting social media business ethics topics for you. These topics are thoroughly reviewed in depth to ensure optimum results for students. Check them out!

• An Introduction to social media ethics
• Is the notion of “controversial fit” on social media ethical?
• Enhancing business performance on social media without eroding business ethics
• The ethical judgment of consumers and controversial advertising avoidance on social media
• Managing ethical responses on social media: effective guidance for business entrepreneurs
• The ethical environment in online communities: information credibility from a social media standpoint
• Employing big data in business organizations and business ethics
• Social media business ethics: a view from the trenches
• Corporate Firing for sharing questionable social media posts: a detailed analysis
• What is the role of social media ethics in achieving responsible business?
• The Influence of social media ethics on Enhancing the effective online presence of Businesses
• The Influence of social media ethics in the ongoing industries
• Social media ethics and Etiquette
• The Impact of social media ethics on Businesses
• The Ethical Issues of Colonizing Mars
• Social media ethics and journalism: a detailed analysis
• The ethical implications of social media: issues and recommendations for entrepreneurs

The Best Bio-Medical Ethics Topics

If you’re interested in bio-medical, then consider choosing a research topic from the following list of suggestions:

• A detailed analysis of the relationship between medical ethics and religious beliefs
• Medical Ethics in Asia versus Europe
• Medical ethics: a detailed analysis
• Ethical Issues in stem cell research and Therapy
• The ethical issues and legal considerations with euthanasia
• Ethical behavioral issues and Problems in Medicine
• A detailed analysis for monitoring the application of idol ethics in medical fields
• The ethical challenges and Considerations for practicing medicine overseas
• Ethical Considerations for the Inclusion of pregnant women as research participants
• How do medical ethics confront religious beliefs?
• Bio-ethics versus medical ethics: a comparative analysis
• Contemporary medical ethics: a research analysis of Iran
• Ethical issues, including bioethics (conduct a case study)
• Principles of bio-medical ethics
• Human testing of drugs: is it ethical?
• Debunking the Ethics of Neuroenhancement
• The imperativeness of medical ethics
• The perception of biomedical ethics
• The Ethics of Development: an integral Approach

Read Also – Interesting biology research topics

Bioethics Research Paper Topics

Bioethics talks about topics related to health, life, genetics, neurology, and even plastic surgery. Research paper topics in bioethics are brilliant topics to write about. The following list is a compilation of 20 bioethics research paper topics that you can consider:

• Ethical conflicts over disclosure and barring services
• Bioethics: Why is philosophy essential for progress?
• Contemporary Issues in Bioethics
• A critical understanding of the ethical responsibilities associated with CRISPR
• Bioethics and stem cell research
• 5 strange and sinister medical procedures from History
• Bioethics and political ideology: The case of active voluntary euthanasia
• Availability of vaccines for everyone: an overview
• The ethics of brain-boosting
• Euthanasia: An Overview and the Jewish Perspective
• The legal and ethical considerations of dealing with a brain-dead person
• A descriptive analysis of Bioethics in Society
• Ethics and genetic engineering—lessons to learn
• Islam and bioethics: Beyond abortion and euthanasia
• Exploring the ethical principles and Practice of plastic surgery
• Pediatric neuroenhancement: ethical, legal, social, and neurodevelopmental implications
• Bioethics, disability, and death: Uncovering cultural bias in the euthanasia debate
• Secular Bioethics and Euthanasia in a democratic public space

Read Also – 200+ Science Research Topics

Medical Ethics Topics to Score Excellent Grades

The list of medical ethics topics below can assist you with some of these amazing medical ethics topics. For a better understanding, consider reading each topic among these recommendations:

• Is physician-assisted suicide legal? Is it ethical?
• The ethical and legal issues with surrogacy
• The Ethical and Medical Implications of Circumcision
• The Ethics of Surrogacy
• The ethics of abortion: Is it ethically right?
• Ethical and policy issues associated with uterine transplants
• Ethical considerations associated with living donations: an overview
• The Ethics of Condemned Prisoner Organ Donation
• Ethical theories and laws associated with medical ethics
• The Ethics of employing human embryos in genetic engineering research
• Medical ethics dilemma: an overview
• The ethical perspectives of the Nightingale pledge
• The ethics of animal research
• Current ethical issues and Challenges in Healthcare
• Religion, beliefs, and medical ethics: an overview
• Bioethics, human rights, and childbirth
• Understanding Morality without ethics

Enthralling Computing Ethics Topics

Technological advancements have revolutionized all facets of human existence. Computer ethics encompass a collection of fundamental principles aimed at addressing concerns associated with the improper use of computers and outlining preventive measures. The list provided below features some of the most compelling ethical research topics in the realm of computer ethics.

• Should ethics boards be required for IT companies?
• Discussing the risks associated with keeping sensitive data online.
• Is hacking a moral act?
• Examine the ethical issues raised by artificial intelligence.
• Exploring computer privacy-related problems and their solutions
• The moral dilemmas associated with drone use
• Evaluating the moral implications of internet users’ Anonymity
• Ethical prevention of cyberbullying: What can be done for a permanent termination?
• Sabotaging others’ computers: how is this ethically wrong?
• Mapping the foundationalist debate in computer ethics
• A method in computer ethics: Towards a multi-level interdisciplinary approach
• Computer ethics: the significance of personal, formal, and informal codes
• Gender and computer ethics
• Reasons, relativity, and Responsibility in computer ethics
• The Ethics of Computing: A Survey of the computing-oriented Literature
• Computer Ethics and moral methodology
• The ethics of online Anonymity or Zuckerberg vs.” Moot.”
• Propose an educational plan for computer ethics and information security

Research Paper Topics in Sports Ethics

Sports ethics extend beyond mere behavior and thought processes, as they are fundamentally rooted in respect, fairness, integrity, and responsibility within the sports arena. Athletes often face dilemmas regarding what actions to take or avoid due to the ethical considerations in sports. Although this subject can be complex, a deep understanding allows for exceptional research on sports ethics. Here are some example topics:

• Sports Ethics: An Anthology
• Ethics in sports
• Performance-enhancing drugs in sport: The ethical issue
• The key components of sports ethics
• The primary moral obligations of athletes
• The imperativeness of ethics in sports
• A detailed analysis of the ethical responsibilities of a sportsperson
• Are professional sporting activities moral in today’s society?
• The Paralympic Games and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Athletes’ healthcare and ethical Concerns
• Impact of ethical behavior outside the Pitch
• The moral dimensions of Motorsports
• Child exploitation to become elite athletes
• Moral and ethical responsibilities of a sportsperson
• How do people enter the world of professional sports, and what ethical issues do they face?
• Alienation of sports from real life
• How sports and games serve as the primary outlet for human ethics
• Sports ethics and medicine
• The unique ethics of sports medicine

Top-Notch Business Ethics Topics

Your ethics paper topic on business must be engaging and provide a practical solution to the ongoing economic challenges. Here is a compilation of some of the best business ethical topics for research papers. Each topic on this list will allow you to draft an excellent research paper and earn brilliant grades. Read on.

• Roots of business ethics in Psychology
• A Model of business ethics
• A detailed study of the ethical philosophy behind Bitcoin
• The unique connection between business success and personal integrity
• Moral Leadership and Unethical Pro-Organizational Behavior
• How closely can managers monitor their employees’ behavior?
• Business ethics and social responsibility education: shifting the worldview
• Ethical behaviors and economic rationality: an overview
• Business ethics and social responsibilities
• Who determines whether private or personal information should be collected?
• The business ethics case of McDonald’s
• Understanding and preventing ethical failures in leadership
• Ethical Dilemmas in Conducting Business
• Moral policing: It’s more business than ideology.
• Data Security Enhancement and Business Ethics
• Perceptions of business ethics: Students vs. business people
• American business culture and ethical norms
• Does business ethics make economic sense?
• Moral Leadership and business ethics
• Business Ethics in Islam: the glaring gap in Practice

Read Also – Business Research Topics

Criminal Justice Research Topics in Ethics

We always hear how law enforcement is made to protect the commoner’s rights. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. These law enforcers sometimes end up in morally ambiguous situations. Now and then, we often hear news about how a fellow police officer exploited a commoner. So, if this topic piques your interest, this list might be helpful for you. Below are some interesting topics in criminal justice ethics.

• The Codes of ethics for criminal justice
• Integrity in the Criminal Justice System
• A detailed analysis of the ethics of criminal justice
• Model affairs and impartial statutory policies.
• Arguments for and against capital punishment
• Discussion on the ethical ramifications of the “innocent until proven guilty” principle
• Examination of the Stanford Prison Experiment’s ethical issues.
• What moral ramifications do school shooter exercises have?
• Discuss if Julian Assange’s prosecution is appropriate.
• Examining the ethical difficulties of privatized prisons
• Imprisonment of young offenders: Is it ethically right?
• Ethics in criminal justice: theory and practices
• Ethical Dilemmas and decisions in criminal justice

Read Also – 150 Advanced Law Research Paper Topics

Environmental Ethics Topics

If you are willing to compare and contrast topics for environmental ethics, you can take ideas from some of the below-given research topics. Read through the entire list, narrow down the best topics, and finally, set your tone to make your point.

• An Introduction to environmental ethics
• The bio-ethical standards of Coca-Cola
• A detailed study of the global warming ethics
• Assessing the US Government’s environmental ethics
• Should companies be held accountable for preserving the environment?
• A deeper look at the EU Administration’s environmental policy and commercial ethics
• Environmental Regulations and business ethics
• A detailed study on the primary environmental and ethical issues in business?
• Ethics of setting up residential structures in sensitive habitats.
• Animal testing in the cosmetic industry
• Recreational environmental ethics: A more detailed examination of the effects of hunting
• Ethical evaluation of initiatives to combat climate change
• Commercial whaling: an ethical analysis
• A detailed evaluation of insider trading: can we call it ethical?
• Is there a moral case for pollution trade-off programmers?
• What do people think about good versus bad ethics?
• Electric vehicles can help rescue the environment.
• Tax evasion and tax avoidance: what exactly is legally right?
• A critical evaluation of the global warming ethics
• Pollution trade-off programs: are they ethically justified?
• Ethical Analysis of climate change mitigation efforts

Read Also – List of 150 Enticing Chemistry Research Topics

Final Thoughts

From the array of ethics topics provided, choose one that captures your interest and aligns with your academic preferences. We hope this list proves insightful for your upcoming research paper. If you ever feel stuck, remember that help is available!

Consider using our paper help service if you’re searching for a topic for your research proposal, thesis , dissertation, or any other academic writing. Our skilled paper helpers can assist you in developing a unique ethics research paper topic. Should you require expert guidance, don’t hesitate to seek outstanding writing assistance at a reasonable price.

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200 Ethical Research Paper Topics For A Universal Morality Boost

Ethics are what make us better people. Researchers play a significant role in the development of a nation’s ethics. You are about to be a researcher as well. That is why our writers, who also offer  paper writing services , have brought many ethical research paper topics for your inspiration.

Table of Contents

What Are The Best Ethical Research Paper Topics For A Great Paper?

Are you looking for some ethical research paper topics for social media ? Or are you doing your research in medicine? We love guiding students like you on  how to write a research paper . That way, we have all the ethical topics you need in the following content.

Ethical Research Paper Topics Related To Social Media

• Educating children to use social media better
• Preparing children against cyberbullying
• Ethics of using social media
• A research analysis on the Facebook data ethics
• Privacy ethics need to be a significant concern on social media platforms
• Use of social media to endorse and preserve human ethics
• The aftermath of COVID-19 has resulted in a social dilemma and economic disruption
• An influential aspect of the pandemic is mental health
• Ethical challenges on the use of Twitter
• The impact of social and territorial inequalities on health
• Social media politics, concerns, and obligations
• Ethical reflection using social media
• Developing a sense of social media ethics in university students
• Ethics of digital business relations: A research focused on Linkedin
• testing and adjustment of privacy and ethical concerns on social media
• Linkedin Ethics and digital business ethics, concerns, and relation
• The ethical issues raised by the pandemic
• Deletion of Donald Trump’s Twitter profile and the role of social media in the American political chaos
• Children and adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic
• Linkedin privacy concerns and business ethics
• Current spirit of social networks: The freedom and friendliness
• How has the portrait of social media changed over the last decade, and why?
• Ethical concerns related to social media censoring in China and Russia
• Role of ethics when you find yourself in a delicate political situation
• Political ethics and their importance on social media
• Privacy dilemma on Facebook and its consequences
• Research on data selling by digital social media platforms
• Ethical concerns of the political side of the Twitter
• Rise of ethical concerns about Twitter after Elon Musk Takeover
• The necessity to integrate social media and make the best use of them
• Organizational ethics and concerns of colleagues communicating through social media
• Role of social media in developing organizational harmony and a sense of ethics
• Freedom and liberty on social media and modern human rights
• Teaching school kids the right way to social media within ethical boundaries
• Studying the term “privacy policy” in the sense of the social network

Ethical Research Paper Topics Related To the Internet

• Ethical issues raised by the Internet in the last decades
• How the Internet has been causing significant concerns related to ethics
• How can education about social ethics can make a safer virtual for everyone
• An analysis of ethical concerns related to the Internet and the results of research
• An ethical and philosophical analysis of the Internet
• The impact of the Internet on humanity’s foundations
• Communication ethics in the age of the technological revolution 
• Using the Internet for social interaction and ethical concerns
• Religious and ethical issues are raised on the Internet in South Asia
• Organizational and social ethics of the Internet
• A research paper on AI ethics: Importance, fears, and opportunities
• The spirit of the information age and hacker ethics
• Privacy concerns on the Internet and the digital revolution
• Human activity is affected by digital ethics in all fields
• Concerns regarding cyber journalism’s ethical standards
• Internet ethics: the defining issue of our time
• A growing number of people are concerned about Internet privacy in their daily lives
• Questions of the 21st century arise from the Internet of Things
• The impact of internet transparency on society
• Incorporating hate speech detection algorithms into the Internet
• The ethical implications of open source software and artificial intelligence
• Why are most people and cultures concerned about digital ethics?
• An ethical approach to hacking and a secure internet
• Internet ethics in developing countries
• Religious hatred on the Internet in South Asian countries
• Solving the problems and concepts of the internet issues 

Ethical Research Paper Topics For Children

• Importance of social ethics
• Training tours and awareness seminars related to social ethics
• Role of ethics in the growth and development of a state
• The impact of ethics on humanity’s foundations
• Teaching ethics to children in school
• Educating children about the importance of social ethics
• Sense of political ethics in children from the very early age
• Ethics in the school time
• Role of teacher’s character in the development of ethics in younger peers
• Importance of social media ethics among children
• Role of ethical understanding among peers in schools 
• Teaching ethics in the light of social sciences
• Humanity and ethics and the importance of vulnerability
• Moral understanding in the children
• Ethical training of teachers in Montessori
• Teaching ethics at early ages for better development of teens
• Ethical dilemmas among youngsters in the digital age
• Ethical understanding between children from different religious backgrounds
• Activities in school to develop ethical habits in students
• Understanding the concept of empathy for the sake of better ethical development
• A research analysis on Educational ethics 
• Ethics in the classroom and a teacher’s responsibility
• Parents must teach children about ethics and responsibility
• Role of ethics and morality in developing harmony among different demographics

Interesting Ethics Research Paper Topics

• Ethics in the age of globalization
• How democracy helps improve ethical understandings of human beings
• Social interaction and ethical concerns in community groups
• Religious and ethical issues in modern society
• Business ethics as the syllabus for MBA students
• Nietzche’s ethics: A modern study
• The ethical hypothesis in a world without religion
• concepts of motivation, internal and external motivation
• Aristotelian ethics compared to those of Plato’s
• Ethical dilemmas in a capitalist society: is socialism the honest answer we are looking for?
• A historical analysis of the socialist ethics in Russia and the Asian States
• The role of literature in the ethical development of the human society
• Ethical concepts found in the books of Albert Camus
• Motivational speakers and ethics
• Ethical understanding of the literature in the modern world
• A dive into the ethical understanding of the modern literature
• Postmodern and ethics in the 21st century
• An analysis of ethical concerns related to social behaviors
• An ethical and philosophical analysis of democracy
• Ethical dilemma in the absence of religion
• Most significant ethical concerns of the postmodern world
• What role does religion play in the ethical foundations of a society
• Greek ethics compared to the modern world society
• Literary ethics and the role of book reading habits for a student’s moral understanding
• Ethical morality: A comparison or contrast with Machiavellian thought

Ethical Research Paper Topics For Thesis

• The ethics of reconstruction and the moral fortune of reconstruction
• An ethical approach to care and empathy
• Importance of business ethics for a successful organization
• An ethics of care and morality of justice based on narratives
• Teaching ethics in relational terms.
• The concepts of ethics are based on desire and alterity.
• How does Aristotle’s ethics affect our lives today?
• Dual moralizing and ethical goals of educational sanctions
• The ethics of mediation and the development of social and ethical harmony during conflicts
• Manage conflicts according to ethical principles
• Putting values into practice in schools
• Disparities in ethical competence in discussion
• Recognizing the problem: The desire for recognition
• The need for ethics in modern society
• The heuristic model of ethics in education
• Is virtue ethics an illusion of intuitive moral knowledge?
• Teachers’ role in improving society through ethical behavior
• The basis of ethics is the demand for love or transference
• Crime scene investigation and criminology ethics
• What is the ethical framework for researchers?
• The ethics of work and the workplace
• The relationship and role of ethics in psychoanalysis
• The ethics of the subject or the question of the subject
• Educating character or cultivating Aristotelian virtues within the republican school
• What role does the Aristotelian ethical model play in modern society?
• Moral communication through active engagement
• Deliberative Competence or Ethics of Discussion
• Do you think the categorical imperative is superegos, sadistic or ethical?
• Competencies in cognitive, discursive, conative, affective, and relational abilities

Ethical Research Paper Topics For Education and Pedagogy

• Analyzing the problem from a psychoanalytic perspective
• Ethical and moral exemplarity: the double face of exemplarity
• A social perspective on ethical problems
• A consideration of the ethical status of right-wing opinions
• A study of the confusion between ethics and deontology
• Rhetoric’s legitimacy as a technique is an ethical question
• The relationship between law and ethics: a comparison and contrast
• Academic philosophy today: a loss of legitimacy and an ethical stance
• Evaluating the moral exemplarity or identification of a person
• Politics and technology in a race to the bottom
• An ethical problem from a philosophical perspective
• The difficulty of ethical gestures
• The ethical concerns of business trends
• A concept of ethical language 
• Ethics concepts that are essential for understanding
• From an educational perspective, looking at ethical studies
• Ethical conflicts in philosophical debates
• Philosophy’s ethical questions and the moral duty to answer them
• Professionals with a sense of responsibility at the crossroads between morality and ethics
• What is the purpose of semantically confusing ethics with morals?
• The ethics of linguistics: a detailed analysis
• Educational influence on civics and morals
• Education in civics and morals with virtue instruction
• The social dimensions of ethical studies
• Analyzing ethical issues in politics
• The role of ethics in managing diversity 
• Concerns of educational institutions and society
• Education within the framework of a shared vision of the common good
• An analysis of the development of language and communication skills
• Practices in teaching that raise ethical concerns

Psychology Ethical Research Paper Topics

• Psychology-related ethical issues
• Psychology of children and ethics
• Psychology of ethics based on Carl Jung’s teachings
• Is it possible to research a subject incapable of giving voluntary consent?
• Moral and ethical considerations in the psychology of learning
• Children progress through different stages of development
• Psychological research involving general audiences: ethical considerations
• An ethical approach to children from the perspective of a psychologist
• A sub-discipline of psychology
• Relationship between psychology and ethics: currents of thought
• The ethical implications of Freud’s work
• Ethical guidance on the debate of who should be saved first?
• A researcher must respect the freedom of a prospective subject
• A guide to ethical research in psychology
• An ethical framework for psychoanalysis
• A fundamental principle of psychological ethics is confidentiality between doctors and patients
• An overview of general psychology related to ethics
• Understanding and relevance for diagnosis and treatment
• Making information more understandable
• Maintaining the confidentiality of research subjects and participants
• An ethical and scientific evaluation of psychological research

Medicine Ethical Research Paper Topics

• Approach to ethical decision-making when stopping food consumption
• Geriatric rehabilitation team ethical reflection
• The ethics of medical care in prison
• Conflicts and issues related to hospital ethics
• Towards a conceptual topology for health ethics
• Importance of teaching medical ethics to nurses
• Nursing education and training in ethical practices
• From consent to pediatric hospital care for young children
• Children in emergencies: ethical reflections
• Caregiver support: a better way to think about it
• An analysis of the daily lives of patients who are dependent on others
• What is the impact of too much activity on geriatric caregivers?
• Medical ethics as the primary part of caregiving training
• Free and informed consent for patients with neurodegenerative disorders
• Caregiver role in end-of-life ethical reflection
• Concerns about the ethical use of biological resources
• Kidney transplant eligibility criteria
• Identification of domestic violence by the attending physician
• Physiotherapy consent and autonomy ambiguity
• Medical terminations: assessing their seriousness
• Patient’s end-of-life ethical encounter
• Importance of medical ethics in life-saving situations
• Adolescent psychiatric care institute challenges

We are optimistic that you already have your breakthrough ethical research paper topics. You are going to ace this paper. If you are still confused,  contact us  at Paper Perk; we’re there to help.

What are some good topics in ethics?

You might want to try these 5 topics in psychology ethics:

What are some examples of ethical research?

Here are some exciting examples of ethical research:

• Rhetoric's legitimacy as a technique is an ethical question

What is a specific research topic about ethics?

What topics are best for research.

There could be a lot of research topics that you can choose from. You can have a look at our 402 research topics as well for general categories.

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Methodology

• Ethical Considerations in Research | Types & Examples

Ethical Considerations in Research | Types & Examples

Published on October 18, 2021 by Pritha Bhandari . Revised on May 9, 2024.

Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices. Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from people.

The goals of human research often include understanding real-life phenomena, studying effective treatments, investigating behaviors, and improving lives in other ways. What you decide to research and how you conduct that research involve key ethical considerations.

These considerations work to

• protect the rights of research participants
• enhance research validity
• maintain scientific or academic integrity

Table of contents

Why do research ethics matter, getting ethical approval for your study, types of ethical issues, voluntary participation, informed consent, confidentiality, potential for harm, results communication, examples of ethical failures, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research ethics.

Research ethics matter for scientific integrity, human rights and dignity, and collaboration between science and society. These principles make sure that participation in studies is voluntary, informed, and safe for research subjects.

You’ll balance pursuing important research objectives with using ethical research methods and procedures. It’s always necessary to prevent permanent or excessive harm to participants, whether inadvertent or not.

Defying research ethics will also lower the credibility of your research because it’s hard for others to trust your data if your methods are morally questionable.

Even if a research idea is valuable to society, it doesn’t justify violating the human rights or dignity of your study participants.

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Before you start any study involving data collection with people, you’ll submit your research proposal to an institutional review board (IRB) .

An IRB is a committee that checks whether your research aims and research design are ethically acceptable and follow your institution’s code of conduct. They check that your research materials and procedures are up to code.

If successful, you’ll receive IRB approval, and you can begin collecting data according to the approved procedures. If you want to make any changes to your procedures or materials, you’ll need to submit a modification application to the IRB for approval.

If unsuccessful, you may be asked to re-submit with modifications or your research proposal may receive a rejection. To get IRB approval, it’s important to explicitly note how you’ll tackle each of the ethical issues that may arise in your study.

There are several ethical issues you should always pay attention to in your research design, and these issues can overlap with each other.

You’ll usually outline ways you’ll deal with each issue in your research proposal if you plan to collect data from participants.

Voluntary participation means that all research subjects are free to choose to participate without any pressure or coercion.

All participants are able to withdraw from, or leave, the study at any point without feeling an obligation to continue. Your participants don’t need to provide a reason for leaving the study.

It’s important to make it clear to participants that there are no negative consequences or repercussions to their refusal to participate. After all, they’re taking the time to help you in the research process , so you should respect their decisions without trying to change their minds.

Voluntary participation is an ethical principle protected by international law and many scientific codes of conduct.

Take special care to ensure there’s no pressure on participants when you’re working with vulnerable groups of people who may find it hard to stop the study even when they want to.

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Informed consent refers to a situation in which all potential participants receive and understand all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate. This includes information about the study’s benefits, risks, funding, and institutional approval.

You make sure to provide all potential participants with all the relevant information about

• what the study is about
• the risks and benefits of taking part
• how long the study will take
• your supervisor’s contact information and the institution’s approval number

Usually, you’ll provide participants with a text for them to read and ask them if they have any questions. If they agree to participate, they can sign or initial the consent form. Note that this may not be sufficient for informed consent when you work with particularly vulnerable groups of people.

If you’re collecting data from people with low literacy, make sure to verbally explain the consent form to them before they agree to participate.

For participants with very limited English proficiency, you should always translate the study materials or work with an interpreter so they have all the information in their first language.

In research with children, you’ll often need informed permission for their participation from their parents or guardians. Although children cannot give informed consent, it’s best to also ask for their assent (agreement) to participate, depending on their age and maturity level.

Anonymity means that you don’t know who the participants are and you can’t link any individual participant to their data.

You can only guarantee anonymity by not collecting any personally identifying information—for example, names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, physical characteristics, photos, and videos.

In many cases, it may be impossible to truly anonymize data collection . For example, data collected in person or by phone cannot be considered fully anonymous because some personal identifiers (demographic information or phone numbers) are impossible to hide.

You’ll also need to collect some identifying information if you give your participants the option to withdraw their data at a later stage.

Data pseudonymization is an alternative method where you replace identifying information about participants with pseudonymous, or fake, identifiers. The data can still be linked to participants but it’s harder to do so because you separate personal information from the study data.

Confidentiality means that you know who the participants are, but you remove all identifying information from your report.

All participants have a right to privacy, so you should protect their personal data for as long as you store or use it. Even when you can’t collect data anonymously, you should secure confidentiality whenever you can.

Some research designs aren’t conducive to confidentiality, but it’s important to make all attempts and inform participants of the risks involved.

As a researcher, you have to consider all possible sources of harm to participants. Harm can come in many different forms.

• Psychological harm: Sensitive questions or tasks may trigger negative emotions such as shame or anxiety.
• Social harm: Participation can involve social risks, public embarrassment, or stigma.
• Physical harm: Pain or injury can result from the study procedures.
• Legal harm: Reporting sensitive data could lead to legal risks or a breach of privacy.

It’s best to consider every possible source of harm in your study as well as concrete ways to mitigate them. Involve your supervisor to discuss steps for harm reduction.

Make sure to disclose all possible risks of harm to participants before the study to get informed consent. If there is a risk of harm, prepare to provide participants with resources or counseling or medical services if needed.

Some of these questions may bring up negative emotions, so you inform participants about the sensitive nature of the survey and assure them that their responses will be confidential.

The way you communicate your research results can sometimes involve ethical issues. Good science communication is honest, reliable, and credible. It’s best to make your results as transparent as possible.

Take steps to actively avoid plagiarism and research misconduct wherever possible.

Plagiarism means submitting others’ works as your own. Although it can be unintentional, copying someone else’s work without proper credit amounts to stealing. It’s an ethical problem in research communication because you may benefit by harming other researchers.

Self-plagiarism is when you republish or re-submit parts of your own papers or reports without properly citing your original work.

This is problematic because you may benefit from presenting your ideas as new and original even though they’ve already been published elsewhere in the past. You may also be infringing on your previous publisher’s copyright, violating an ethical code, or wasting time and resources by doing so.

In extreme cases of self-plagiarism, entire datasets or papers are sometimes duplicated. These are major ethical violations because they can skew research findings if taken as original data.

You notice that two published studies have similar characteristics even though they are from different years. Their sample sizes, locations, treatments, and results are highly similar, and the studies share one author in common.

Research misconduct

Research misconduct means making up or falsifying data, manipulating data analyses, or misrepresenting results in research reports. It’s a form of academic fraud.

These actions are committed intentionally and can have serious consequences; research misconduct is not a simple mistake or a point of disagreement about data analyses.

Research misconduct is a serious ethical issue because it can undermine academic integrity and institutional credibility. It leads to a waste of funding and resources that could have been used for alternative research.

Later investigations revealed that they fabricated and manipulated their data to show a nonexistent link between vaccines and autism. Wakefield also neglected to disclose important conflicts of interest, and his medical license was taken away.

This fraudulent work sparked vaccine hesitancy among parents and caregivers. The rate of MMR vaccinations in children fell sharply, and measles outbreaks became more common due to a lack of herd immunity.

Research scandals with ethical failures are littered throughout history, but some took place not that long ago.

Some scientists in positions of power have historically mistreated or even abused research participants to investigate research problems at any cost. These participants were prisoners, under their care, or otherwise trusted them to treat them with dignity.

To demonstrate the importance of research ethics, we’ll briefly review two research studies that violated human rights in modern history.

These experiments were inhumane and resulted in trauma, permanent disabilities, or death in many cases.

After some Nazi doctors were put on trial for their crimes, the Nuremberg Code of research ethics for human experimentation was developed in 1947 to establish a new standard for human experimentation in medical research.

In reality, the actual goal was to study the effects of the disease when left untreated, and the researchers never informed participants about their diagnoses or the research aims.

Although participants experienced severe health problems, including blindness and other complications, the researchers only pretended to provide medical care.

When treatment became possible in 1943, 11 years after the study began, none of the participants were offered it, despite their health conditions and high risk of death.

Ethical failures like these resulted in severe harm to participants, wasted resources, and lower trust in science and scientists. This is why all research institutions have strict ethical guidelines for performing research.

If you want to know more about statistics , methodology , or research bias , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

• Normal distribution
• Measures of central tendency
• Chi square tests
• Confidence interval
• Quartiles & Quantiles
• Cluster sampling
• Stratified sampling
• Thematic analysis
• Cohort study
• Peer review
• Ethnography

Research bias

• Implicit bias
• Cognitive bias
• Conformity bias
• Hawthorne effect
• Availability heuristic
• Attrition bias
• Social desirability bias

Ethical considerations in research are a set of principles that guide your research designs and practices. These principles include voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, potential for harm, and results communication.

Scientists and researchers must always adhere to a certain code of conduct when collecting data from others .

These considerations protect the rights of research participants, enhance research validity , and maintain scientific integrity.

Research ethics matter for scientific integrity, human rights and dignity, and collaboration between science and society. These principles make sure that participation in studies is voluntary, informed, and safe.

Anonymity means you don’t know who the participants are, while confidentiality means you know who they are but remove identifying information from your research report. Both are important ethical considerations .

You can only guarantee anonymity by not collecting any personally identifying information—for example, names, phone numbers, email addresses, IP addresses, physical characteristics, photos, or videos.

You can keep data confidential by using aggregate information in your research report, so that you only refer to groups of participants rather than individuals.

These actions are committed intentionally and can have serious consequences; research misconduct is not a simple mistake or a point of disagreement but a serious ethical failure.

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Bhandari, P. (2024, May 09). Ethical Considerations in Research | Types & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved August 13, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/research-ethics/

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180 Ethics Topics & Ethical Questions to Debate

Our code of ethics is derived from what we think is right or wrong. On top of that, we have to agree to the moral standards established by the society we live in. Conventional norms generally label theft, murder, or harassment as bad. However, there are many influences that impact our considerations and understanding of ethics.

Ethics is a branch of philosophy that studies moral issues. This article outlines the three different types of ethics and presents a list of compelling ethics topics for essays and research papers, as well as ethical questions to debate.

You don’t know how to write about ethics or which ethical argument topic to choose for your paper? Maybe your assignment deadline is dreadfully looming over you? Our custom writing service is happy to help you craft a fantastic essay on ethics whenever the need arises.

🔝 Top 10 Ethical Topics

• 🧑🤝🧑Types of Ethics
• 🤔 Ethical Issues
• 🖥️ Computer Ethics
• 🧬 Bioethics
• 🚓👮 Criminal Justice
• ⚖️ Ethical Dilemmas

⭐ Top 10 Ethics Topics to Debate

😈 ethical questions to debate, 🔍 references.

• Religious beliefs vs. medical care
• Issues behind unpaid internships
• Toxic environment at the workplace
• The dilemma of reporting an accident
• Should one’s political leanings be private?
• The limits of doctor-patient confidentiality
• Is it ethical to pay children for good grades?
• Ethics at the workplace and discrimination
• Should social media be allowed at the workplace?
• Promotion of environmental responsibility in business

🧑🤝🧑 Types of Ethics

Modern philosophy splits ethics into three groups: metaethics, normative ethics, and applied ethics.

• The core question of metaethics is: “What is morality, and where does it come from?” It is also concerned with the emergence of human values, motivation, and reasoning.
• Normative ethics seeks to answer the question, “How should I act?” An example of a normative moral theory is Kant’s Categorical Imperative: Act only according to that maxim whereby you can, at the same time, will that it should become a universal law . In other words: be kind.
• Applied ethics seeks to apply moral considerations into real-life controversial subjects. Its contents can vary greatly and touch bioethics as well as criminal justice. It studies specific actions and practices from the point of moral acceptance.

However, ethics does not end with these three types. Over the centuries, philosophers have proposed various ethical theories. Their four general categories are deontological, utilitarian, right, and virtue ethics.

• A deontologist is a person with a set of moral duties from which they will not adhere. When faced with an ethical conflict, they will always act according to their self-proclaimed obligations.
• For a utilitarian , a decision needs to yield the greatest benefit for the majority.
• If rights are the root of an ethical theory, these are the highest priority. A person’s rights can either be established in a society by law or bestowed from one individual upon another.
• Judging someone by virtue means considering a person’s character rather than their actions. Here, an individual’s reputation, motivation, and ethics play a crucial role.

Now that you know the basics, you have the perfect ground to start your ethics essay.

🤔 Ethical Topics for an Essay

Ethical issues are situations in which an individual needs to evaluate which course of action is morally right. Essays on this topic shine a light on difficult questions. Therefore, students need to defend their position convincingly.

• Discuss what we should do about climate change.
• What are the moral problems surrounding abortion?
• Can we still justify eating meat?
• Investigate the use of plastic in the beauty industry.
• Is it unethical to be extremely rich?
• Should you buy Nestlé products despite the fact that the company privatizes water?
• Is the unequal distribution of wealth unethical?
• Discuss how workplace ethics should take sexism into account.
• What can we do to combat racism?
• Why are LGBT+ people discriminated against?
• Should euthanasia be legal?
• Can war be ethical?
• Should schools punish students for attending the Fridays for Future protests?
• Would drug use be unethical if it were legal?
• Explain the moral problems that come with automating jobs.

• Is it ethical to hire someone to do assignments for you?
• How far should everyone’s right to privacy go?
• Is using animals for scientific testing unethical?
• How should governments deal with refugees? 
• Discuss the carbon impact of having children.
• Can modern societies still be held accountable for what their nation did in the past?
• Analyze the benefits and disadvantages of universal income.
• How much control should the state have on the press?
• Should schools teach religion?
• What are ethical concerns regarding downloading media from the internet?

🖥️ Computer Ethics Essay Topics

The advent of information technology has altered every aspect of our lives. Computer ethics applies traditional moral theories to everything surrounding computers and cyber security. The list below contains enthralling ethical topics concerned with the realm of computing.

• How much work should we leave entirely to computers?
• Discuss the dangers of storing vulnerable data online.
• Are computers secure enough to contain so much information about our lives?
• Discuss if hacking can be morally justified.
• Examine privacy-related concerns regarding computers .
• Should all software be free?
• How can you legitimize the possession of a computer algorithm patent?
• What can be done to prevent cyberbullying?
• Investigate the moral effects anonymity has on internet users.
• Whose laws apply if you wish to protect your rights online?
• Discuss how the necessity to own a computer impacts poorer nations and people.
• Which ethical problems can people face due to the internet’s possibilities?
• When is sabotaging another person’s computer justified?
• Analyze the social responsibility that comes with developing new software.
• Are computer crimes less harmful than crimes against humans?
• Who owns information that is distributed online?
• What is more important: easy accessibility or privacy?
• Investigate the moral problems associated with AI.
• If a computer makes a critical mistake, whose fault is it?
• Discuss the importance of netiquette.
• How should tech companies deal with ethical problems?
• Can AI algorithms ensure ethical behavior? 
• Why do tech companies need ethics boards?
• Which ethical conflicts appear when using drones?
• Investigate racial bias in facial recognition systems.

🏅 Sports Ethics Topics for a Paper

Morality in sports is based on integrity, respect, responsibility, and fairness. Often, this puts athletes into a dilemma: do I want to be ethical, or do I want to win? Answering these questions is not always easy. The following list compiles sports topics for a research paper on ethics.

• What are moral complications when using enhancement drugs?
• Is gamesmanship unethical?
• How important is ethics in sports?
• Discuss the moral responsibilities of athletes .
• What are ethical reasons to pay college athletes?
• Investigate the ethical implications of kneeling for the national anthem .
• Can college sports and the principles of higher education go hand in hand?
• Investigate the sexist bias in sports.
• Was it selfish when the American female soccer team went to court to demand equal pay?

• What moral obligations do universities have towards their athletes?
• When can you justify cheating?
• Concerning the environment, how can professional sports events be ethical?
• Which ethical issues do healthcare workers have concerning sportspeople? 
• Which moral duties do teams’ coaches have?
• Are the extremely high salaries of sports professionals justified?
• In 2003, the Olympics abolished the wild card system. Was that fair?
• Because of the Paralympics, disabled athletes cannot take part in the real Olympics. Is that discriminatory?
• Discuss how money influences the fairness of a sport.
• Debate if and how children are exploited to become elite athletes.
• Which moral duties should a good sport follow?
• How much should parents get involved in their child’s physical education?
• Investigate if everyday codes of ethics should apply to sports.
• Discuss the ethical implications of motorsports.
• Who is responsible if a player gets injured?
• Are referees always fair?

🧬 Bioethics Topics for an Essay

Bioethics comes into play when we talk about life and health. It expands from genetics to neurology and even plastic surgery. In the name of the common good, researchers often find themselves in conflicting positions. This makes bioethics an especially exciting topic to write about.

• Discuss the moral conflicts of genetic engineering. 
• What are the ethical responsibilities associated with using CRISPR? 
• Investigate the problems of stem cell research.
• When can humans be used for drug testing? 
• Should vaccinations be mandatory for everyone?
• Investigate the ethics that apply to a medical worker.
• Discuss the harmful effects of plastic surgery. 
• Should a person who is brain dead be kept alive?
• Is it just that medical care is linked to an individual’s ability to pay?
• Should everyone be an organ donor by default?
• What is more important: a person’s right to privacy or the information of at-risk relatives?
• Is prenatal invasive testing ethical?
• Should neuroenhancement drugs be legal?
• Discuss ethical conflicts concerning Disclosure and Barring Service.
• Is it ethical to improve memory functions with brain stimulation?
• Analyze the ethical issues concerning precision medicine.
• What are the problems of surrogacy? 
• Should medical personnel collect healthy tissues of a deceased person without their consent?

• What should be done with the child of a brain-dead pregnant woman?
• How important is a subject’s anonymity during research?
• Discuss the ethics of shared decision-making .
• How much responsibility do mentally challenged people carry for their actions?
• Was Sweden right not to impose strict lockdown rules during the COVID-19 pandemic?
• To what extent are businesses responsible for their employees’ health?
• Should universal healthcare be free?

🚓👮 Criminal Justice Ethics Topics to Write About

Law enforcers should always act ethically. Unfortunately, it is not always the case. Police officers and attorneys often end up in morally ambiguous situations. In many cases, they don’t do what the public deems the right thing. Below are the examples of criminal justice ethics topics.

• When is it legitimate for a police officer to use violence?
• How can an officer remain impartial?
• Should law enforcement visibly wear guns in public? 
• How much force is too much?
• Investigate possible ethical implications associated with true crime podcasts.
• Should prostitution be legal in the US?
• How ethical is interrogation? 
• Can torture be justified?
• Discuss the ethical consequences of lying when working in criminal justice .
• Is working undercover deception? 
• Debate whether it is an American citizen’s moral duty to participate in jury duty.
• Should the police be allowed to access everyone’s data?
• Discuss the moral complications of “innocent until proven guilty.”
• Should convicted pedophiles be allowed to see their children?
• Can teaching ethics at schools prevent crime?
• Analyze ethical problems of the Stanford Prison Experiment.
• Should NATO have become involved in America’s Afghan war?
• What are the ethical implications of shooter drills at school?
• Was Edward Snowden morally in the wrong?
• How should we deal with child soldiers?
• Discuss if the prosecution of Julian Assange is justified.
• Examine the ethical problems of private prisons.
• What moral obligations should someone consider when granting prisoners the right to work?
• When is capital punishment justified?
• Is it ethical to incarcerate juvenile offenders? 

⚖️ Ethical Dilemma Topics to Write About

An ethical issue becomes a dilemma when different moral standards clash with each other. In this situation, it is impossible to find a path to an ethically permissible solution that is unambiguous. The following sample topics are a solid base to start a discussion on morals.

• Should parents watch over what their children do on the internet?
• Would you report an accident you caused if there are no witnesses?
• What should a doctor do if a patient refuses life-saving treatment for religious reasons? 
• Should you turn down a client if their political views do not match yours?
• Would you promote something you are not convinced of to get money?
• Should you lie to land a job that gets you out of poverty?

• Your partner cheated on you. Now, you get the chance to take your revenge with someone you really like. Would you do it? 
• Should students use automated writing tools like free thesis generators , summarizers, and paraphrasers?
• Your teacher is continuously mocking your classmate. You are a teacher’s pet. Would you speak up?
• Your son likes to wear dresses. One day, he asks if he can wear one to school. Will you let him?
• You are very religious. Your daughter wants to get married to another woman and invites you to her wedding. What will you do?
• Prenatal testing showed that your unborn child has a disability. Would you terminate pregnancy?
• You are in a long-term relationship. Suddenly, your partner gets a job offer in another part of the world. What would you do?
• You have a terminal illness. This makes you a financial burden to your relatives. Are you obliged towards them to quit your treatment?
• You have a red and a blue candy bar. Blue is your favorite, but you also know that it’s your friend’s favorite. Will you give it to them?
• A friend asked you for a loan. Since then, they have not given you anything back. They are still not wholly stable financially. Will you ask them to return the money?
• Your grandma passed away and bequeathed her favorite mink coat to you. You are a vegan. What do you do?
• A few years ago, you borrowed a gun from a friend. Now, they ask for it back, but their mental state seems to be rapidly deteriorating. This makes you scared they are going to shoot someone, or themselves. What do you do?
• You find out that your friend cheats on their spouse. You are close friends with their family. Will you tell on them?
• For your birthday, your friend gave you a sweater they’ve made themselves. You think it’s ugly. Do you tell them?
• You are a vegan. Should you buy vegan products which are highly problematic to produce? 
• You are in a restaurant. Your order arrives too late. The waitress looks stressed. Will you make her take it back?
• You went to the store and bought a new, expensive item. The clerk gives you too much change. Do you give it back?
• You are walking with a friend and find $50 on the floor. Would you share it with them?
• Your child firmly believes in Santa Claus. One Christmas, they start suspecting that he is not real. What do you do? 
• Is having pets ethical?
• Can eating meat be justified?
• Should we defund the police?
• Should atomic bombs be banned?
• Can discrimination be justified?
• Is it ethical to ask someone’s age?
• Should children get paid for chores?
• Is it unprofessional to send voice messages?
• Should children be allowed to vote?
• Should influencers promote products they don’t use?
• Should there be any limitations to doctor and patient confidentiality?
• Should physician-assisted suicide be allowed?
• Can teenagers get plastic surgery?
• What to do when you find out that your relative has committed an offense?
• What to do when you see your friend cheating on the exam?
• Should sportsmen be paid more than teachers?
• Should gender quotas be used during parliamentary elections?
• Do companies have the right to collect information about their customers?
• Can politicians appeal to religious issues during electoral campaigns?
• Should fake news be censored in a democratic society?

We hope that in this list you’ve found the ethics topic that fits you the best. Good luck with your assignment!

Further reading:

• 430 Philosophy Topics & Questions for Your Essay
• 226 Research Topics on Criminal Justice & Criminology
• 512 Research Topics on HumSS (Humanities & Social Sciences)
• 204 Research Topics on Technology & Computer Science
• What’s the Difference Between Morality and Ethics?: Britannica
• What is Ethics?: Santa Clara University
• Ethics: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Metaethics: Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
• Ethical Issues: Idaho State University
• The Problem with AI Ethics: The Verge
• Sports Ethics: Santa Clara University
• What Is Bioethics?: Michigan State University
• Ethics in Criminal Justice: Campbellsville University
• Kant’s Formula of Universal Law: Harvard University
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120 Catchy Ethical Research Paper Topics to Explore

Students are often assigned to write research papers on ethics as each career has a scope of stable set ethical principles. However, facing a task to create an ethics research paper, undergraduates experience challenges to pick up the right topic. Lucky for you, having read this post, you will be able to decide on what topic you are willing to explore. But first of all, let’s learn how to write and structure your paper.

Steps to Choose an Ethical Research Paper Topic

• Brainstorm ideas and make up the list of the relevant topics.
• Gather facts and data you may use while writing.
• Find out the scope of your ethics research paper topic. If you haven’t found the main point which should be discussed in your study, ask your advisor for a piece of advice.
• List a question or a few ones you have to answer in your paper. Their answers should solve some current human issues.
• Put down well-defined plan points you will stick while writing.

The Ethics Paper Outline Structure

So, you have picked up the topic and collected the background information and statistics. Well done! But you still have no idea how to put all data and facts in a few sheets of paper. We hope our ethics paper outline structure will help you organize your thoughts properly.

• An introductory part highlights the main reasons you chose this topic to present and investigate.
• Methods and information used. What methods and facts did you draw on while researching?
• Outcomes you got. Demonstrate your results and back them up with evidence.
• The discussion section interprets the outcomes and extends your knowledge answering the current questions.
• Conclusion. You have done a great deal of work, and now you need to sum up what goals you achieved, and what benefits your research will bring.

120 Interesting Ideas for Topics for Ethics Papers

Ideas for college papers on general ethics.

• The Importance of Ethics in Each Field of Life
• Why Do We Need to Follow Ethical Rules?
• Lack of Ethical Values in People
• Negative Emotions as a Part of Bad Ethics
• Ethics in Personal Relationship
• How to Learn Ethical Rules
• Teaching Ethics in Schools
• Connection Between Ethics and Racism
• Who Should Teach Us Ethics?
• What Is an Organizational Code of Ethics?
• The Social Impact on Our Ethical Values
• Difference Between Male and Female Morality
• Daily Routine: Everyday Ethics Questions
• Urgent Ethical Issues Among Co-Workers

Ethics has always been an acute social issue. If you still don’t understand this subject clearly, you need to address the general ethical issues of one of the following ethics essay topics.

List of Topics on Business Ethics

• Ethics in the Global Business World
• Ethical Challenges of Leadership and Followership in Business Companies
• Ways to Prevent Sexual Harassment on Workplaces
• Workplace Discrimination
• Should Companies Be Completely Honest With Their Customers?
• Ethical Challenges of Leading a Large Company
• Ethical Principles of Making Decisions in Big Corporations
• The Role of Business Leaders in Economy
• Do the Companies that Sell Products With Low-Effectiveness Have a Lack of Ethical Norms?
• Any Promises Don’t Count If You Haven’t Signed a Contract Yet: the Point of Market Relations
• How to Punish Companies That Don’t Keep Their promises?

The business world is cruel, but even the business sharks have to follow some ethical principles to keep up. Choosing and investigating a business ethics topic for research paper, you will learn the ethical norms you might use in your future career.

Altruism Topics

• What Is Altruism in Our Society?
• History of Altruism
• Should All Rich People Contribute to Charity?
• The Most Famous People Who Donated to Charity
• Why Can Altruism Be Punishable?
• When Did Charity Become So Popular?
• Annual Charity Events You Should Visit
• Theories of Altruism
• Why Do Some People Not Believe in Charity?
• Psychological Explanations of Altruistic Behavior
• Rewards for Doing Altruistic Things: Psychological View
• Negative Consequences of Altruism
• Charity Events for Big Corporations: Big Heart or PR
• How to Avoid Cheating While Donating

Do you think that all human beings are positive about altruism? Researching ethical topics for essays on altruism, you will discover hundreds of thoughts about the charity subject that will amaze you!

Research Papers Topics on Communication Ethics

• The Origin of Ethics and Its Meaning for Society
• How Do We Change Opinion About a Person While Communicating?
• Teacher-Student Question: Following Good Ethics While Judging Students
• The Impact of Leading Behavior Among Students
• Should Good Friends Stick to Ethical Rules in Communication?
• Basic Communication Ethical Skills
• Importance of Subordination
• Parent-Child Ethics
• How to Develop Communication Ethics?
• Lack of Communication Ethics Among Undergraduates
• What Is an Ethics Course Reflection in Daily Communication?
• Methods of Promoting Ethics in the Public Sector

Following our communication's ethical norms, we can achieve great results in negotiating, convincing our partners, and making a considered decision. Having written a few ethics paper topics, you will definitely acquire useful skills.

Environmental Ethics Topics

• The Current Environmental Ethics Issues
• Ethical Responsibility for Causing Damage to Nature
• Could We Justify Eco-Sabotage?
• Ethical Attitude to Eco-Trend
• Animals Rights
• Vegetarianism. Ethical Critique of This Lifestyle
• International Responsibility for Climate Changes
• Rights of Eco-Organizations
• Endangered Species and the Ethical Ways to Solve This Issue
• Why Should We Be Ethical in Environmental Questions?
• The Impact of Windpower Facilities on Environment

Most people don’t care about environmental issues until they don’t concern them. The list of eco-ethics topics makes you think about our interaction with the environment and the consequences.

Choose the Best Topic on Ethics in Education

• Development of Ethical Culture in Young Children
• The Top Books You Should Read to Learn Ethics
• Should Be Teachers Punished for Prejudice to Students
• The Necessity of Morality Classes in High School
• Poor Ethical Values in College Students
• Ideal Teacher: Moral Traits of Character
• Social Bias: Students With Bad Ethics
• Aggressive as a Result of Student’s Bad Ethics
• The Best Research Papers on Ethics Written by Psychologists for Students
• Does Every Job Have Its Own Scope of Ethical Principles?

Morality should be taught since childhood. The next topics might prove that there are a lot of things to discuss ethics in the educational field. You could prove or disprove your point of view, highlighting it in one of the ethical arguments topics.

Ideas Topics on Medical Ethics

• The Ethical Principles Health Maximization in Athletes
• The Most Ethical Medical Theories
• Preventative Medicines and Its Ethical Norms
• Medical Ethics in Asian and European Countries
• How to Monitor Ethics in Medicine?
• How to Punish Doctors for Breaking Ethical Rules?
• Doctors’ Ethical Dilemmas: When Patients Should Be Arrested
• Ethical Issues of Euthanasia
• Plastic Surgery and Its Ethics
• Ethical Aspects of Practicing Medicine Abroad
• The Influence of Ethics on Surgeon’s Life
• What Happens If Medical Ethics Is Ignored?

Medicine is a field that requires a strong set of moral principles that both doctors and patients have to follow. We have collected the most in-demand ethics topics for essays to write on medicine.

Government and Ethics Topics

• Ways to Improve Ethics on a Governmental Level
• How To Encourage Ethical Issues in the World of Journalism
• Ethical Norms of Government Representatives
• Government Ethics in the UK
• Who Sets the Ethical Norms for People?
• How Can Government Control the Following of Professional Ethics: the Principles Correctional Officer Code of Ethics
• Could Governors Be Punished As Long As They Fail Ethical Rules?
• Government Ethics in the USA
• Ethics Issues in the European Countries
• Ethics Similarities in Asian and European Countries
• The Scope of Philosophic Tracts About Learning State Ethics
• Why Can a written Ethical Issue Essay Due Process Street Justice Become a Starting Point to Re-Evaluate State Ethics?

Ethical issues have to be discussed and solved on the state level, but even your small research paper can be the starting point. The mentioned ethics paper topics give you some sort of idea to start great huge work.

Investigate History of Ethics

• History of the Term “Ethics”
• The Foundation of Morality
• Origin and Development of Ethics
• Psychologists Who Didn’t Have Moral Qualities
• The Sample Essay of History of Slavery Impact on Contemporary Ethical Society
• Where Is Ethics? The Brightest History Events Where You Can’t Find Any Hint of Ethics
• Western Ethics in History
• Historical and Contemporary Issues on Ethics
• The Medieval Ethics
• Ethical Conflicts in Ancient Greece
• Brief History of Classical Ethics
• History of Ethical Issues in Forensic Assessment

These days, we got used to discussing moral questions, but do we know how everything started? Conducting an in-depth study ethics research paper topic is a great idea for developing ethics from the very beginning.

College Papers Topics on Religious Ethics

• Religious Ethics Comprehension
• Correlation Between Ethics and Religion
• Biblical Ethics and Its Aspects
• Ethical Religious Traditions
• Ethical Issues of Islamic History
• How Does Islam See Different Genders?
• Genders in Religion
• Ethical Aspects in Hinduism
• Ethical Attitudes to the Quran
• How Do Ethical Education Influence on Perception of Religion?
• Religious Impact on Modern Society
• Be Ethical Means to Be Tolerant to Another Religion

Sometimes our religious views don’t correspond to modern morals. That’s why people devote a lot of time to solve ethical problems related to religion. Pick up one of the ethics paper topics and help to solve one of the current issues.

Find yourself independent in writing a research paper on ethics? Then, these tips on how to write an ethics research paper will come in handy.

• Study all possible information sources to make sure you have enough data to start researching.
• Systemize the facts you obtained into the research paper sections. You will have 5 chapters: introduction, methods and material you drew on, results, discussions, and conclusions.
• Write your first draft. Focus on the main point of the ethics research paper topic. You may write in a free form starting from the research methods and information you have used. The introduction is usually written in the last moment when you see the general picture and can sort out the necessary facts.
• Reread and edit your paper. Don’t hesitate to use an online grammar checker if your grammar is poor. The checker polishes your paper and removes grammar, lexical, and punctual mistakes.

If now writing an ethics essay topic seems too serious and unrealistic, feel free to order a free-plagiarism paper from our experts in writing custom research papers . PaperCoach writers have already written a few dozens of research papers on various subjects and know how to create a catchy introduction and grab the audience’s attention. The only way to check is to order a paper from our experts!

References:

• How to Write an Ethics Paper
• Easy-to-Write Ethics Paper
• History of Ethics (Paper Sample)
• Writing a Good Ethics Essay
• Research Paper Writing Checklist
• Ethics Research Paper Example
• Personal Ethics and Making Decisions

627 Ethics Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

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People make ethical choices every day, even when they do not realize it. Ethics is a debatable topic that covers many aspects of our daily life.

Ethics essays can help students to understand ethical dilemmas and problems better. Although writing an ethics essay can be challenging, we are always here to help!

Start with choosing an issue you want to discuss in the paper. Some good ethics essay topics and examples we can suggest are:

• The aspects of utilitarianism as an ethical theory
• Ethical dilemmas in the field of healthcare
• Theories that explain human behavior
• The significance of the personal code of ethics
• Should euthanasia/abortion/personal use of drugs be legal?
• Is morality related to society or culture?
• Are there moral obligations all individuals should follow?

Remember that you can discuss other ethics essay questions and topics too. Choose one of the titles that seem most relevant to you. Now you are ready to start working on your paper. Here are ten tips that will help you to write an outstanding essay:

• Research the issue you have selected thoroughly. You should gain an excellent understanding of its aspects, causes, and consequences. Try to rely on credible sources (such as peer-reviewed articles) only.
• If you are not sure that the selected problem is relevant, find an ethics essay example online. This step can also help you to analyze your ethics essay structure and see whether you should make some changes.
• Develop a good outline for your essay. Include an introductory section, several body paragraphs (at least three, if possible), and a summary or a conclusion. Note that an argumentative essay should include a refutation section too.
• Introduce your thesis statement clearly. Your reader should understand the main argument of your essay.
• Discuss all significant aspects related to ethics. Provide a definition of this term and examples of ethical dilemmas that may arise. It can make your paper more engaging to your audience.
• Avoid overly complex sentences. Your essay should look professional but be easy-to-read. Remember that in general, sentences should not be longer than 35 words.
• Discuss your perspectives on ethical issues you are presenting. State your opinion and include the recommendations you would provide. If you have relevant experiences or know people who have faced ethical dilemmas, discuss them in your paper.
• Remember that the last paragraph of the essay is important. You need to present your thesis statement once again, along with the main arguments of your work. Discuss the findings of your study and make a conclusion.
• Support your claims with evidence. Include in-text citations whenever you are referring to someone else’s work. At the same time, your paper should not include information from outside sources only. Add comments to each of the facts you are presenting.
• Check the paper several times before sending it to your professor. You need to make sure that there are no grammatical mistakes. Pay attention to the sentence structure too. An important tip would be to put your essay away for several days and revise your ideas later with “fresh” eyes. Do not hesitate to ask your peers for help in revising your essay too.

Remember to check out essay samples on our website. They are free!

• Is Business Ethics an Oxymoron Business and ethics are incompatible and that is why business ethics is an oxymoron. Business ethics is an oxymoron because business and ethics are incompatible.
• Ethics as a Theme in Frankenstein by Mary Shelley From the novel, it is evident that humans drove the monster into a state of madness when they subjected it to hatred and rejection, and thus the monster’s madness emerged due to the treatment it […]
• Ethics of Divorce: Deontology and Utilitarianism Before analyzing the ethics of divorce, the paper first introduces the subject of ethics followed by the theme of divorce in the contemporary societal settings.
• Justice Theory: Business Ethics, Utilitarianism, Rights, Caring, and Virtue The foremost portion of business ethics understands the theory of rights as one of the core principles in the five-item ethical positions that deem essential in the understanding of moral business practices.
• McDonald’s Ethical Issues: Examples of Unethical Marketing Practices It is a case study of McDonalds and how the international company disregards the ethical considerations of business in the fast food industry. To this end, the ethical practices include the accurate representation of a […]
• Ethics and Artificial Intelligence The various AI systems utilize patients’ data without their consent and expose their private information. Many AI systems in the healthcare environment utilize patients’ data and information without their full consent.
• Ethics and Morality Relationship Ethics is a term used to refer to the body of doctrines that guide individuals to behave in a way that is ideologically right, fine, and appropriate.
• BP Oil Company Ethical Dilemma The damages caused by the spill originated from the effects of the oil on the environment and the damaging effects of the cleanup activities.
• An Ethical Dilemma Faced by Nestle: Case Analysis International staffing and development help Nestle to organize human resources in accordance with the needs of the company and its strategic goals.
• Importance of Ethics in Business The manager of the North American company has a difficult task because in as much as the decision taken by the company depends on him, he wants to please both parties, that is, the client […]
• Business Ethics and Social Responsibility Essay In this light, this paper discusses the importance of ethics and social responsibility and various practices and theories employed in different organizations. In future, ethics and social responsibility will have a new meaning in the […]
• Importance of Ethics in Communication Essay The issue that arises is whether employees make the right decision that would benefit the company or they make the wrong choices that call for the downfall of the company.
• Moral and Ethical Issues of Recombinant DNA Technology In my opinion that debate is of the greatest importance and my hope is that these six lectures may have contributed to it.
• Walmart Company’s Global Ethics and Compliance Challenges According to the theory, it may be viewed as a set of guidelines that help to determine the level of appropriateness of corporate norms, policies, and activities.
• Relationship Between Ethics and Religion Essay While a believer will pose that the two function as a couple, a non-believer, on the other hand will hold that morality is independent of religion.
• PepsiCo Ethical Issues & Achievements The firm has established a global code of conduct that generally identifies the main objective of conducting business in the right way as a part of its corporate mechanism aimed at ensuring that customers of […]
• “Wit” by Margaret Edson: Ethical and Legal Issues The decisions included the type of treatments to give her, the frequency of the treatments, and the decision to resuscitate or not to resuscitate.
• Psychological Testing: Ethical and Legal Issues Two of the cases that have had a major impact on the institution of psychological testing are ‘Larry P.v Riles and Crawford v.
• Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster and Ethical Issues It manifested in the management’s decision to launch the shuttle despite insufficient testing and the faults in the design of the O-rings.
• Ethical Issues of Targeting Uninformed Consumers The rationale behind this statement is that uninformed consumers do not have psychological maturity, meaning that target marketing can force them to make unreasonable decisions and purchases.
• Social Media Ethics Essay: Examples & Definition In the initial stages of social media, it was easy fro companies to brush aside the idea of social media and have nothing to do with it, hence, risk being victims of the two risks.
• Moral and Ethical Issues in Science and Technology The aspects that pose moral and ethical issues in technology today need to be outlined and controlled with consideration of all the parties involved.
• Ethical Dilemma of Child Abuse In the above example, a nurse has to apply rational judgment to analyze the extent and threats when making decisions in the best interest of the victim of child abuse.
• Virtue Theory, Utilitarianism and Deontological Ethics The foundation of utilitarianism theory is in the principle of utility. On the other hand, the theory of deontology embraces the concept of duty.
• Ethical and Legal Issues in Nursing Informatics One of the basic underpinnings is the fact that confidentiality violations can result in various issues for the patient whose well-being can be threatened, which is unacceptable for the nurse whose job is to ensure […]
• Legal-Ethical Issues Affecting Patient Rights for the Elderly The kind of relationship that healthcare professionals can have with their elderly clients can have legal and moral implications in relation to patient rights for the elderly.
• Toyota Ethical Issues and Social Responsibility Another set of the company’s stakeholders that affect the ethical code of business in the company is the external environment like customers and the society; there is a level of quality that customers expect from […]
• Ethical Issues at the Radiology Department Since the radiographer was not concerned with the fact that the patient could not speak English properly, the former broke the principles of radiography ethics by conducting a procedure that could harm the patient in […]
• Anthropocentric and Non-Anthropocentric Environmental Ethics In the current reality, non-anthropocentric environmental ethics are impractical in fields of international development, and poverty reduction as the primary focus is on improvements for the human population.
• Merck Company and River Blindness Case Study Ethics According to the report, any country that requested for the drug would receive the drugs in coordination with the World Health Organization.
• Teleological vs. Deontological Ethics They are meta-ethics, deontological ethics, hedonism, normative ethics, teleological ethics, and many others The present paper is aimed at describing teleological and deontological ethics as well as the differences between them.
• Legal and Ethical Responsibilities of Physical Therapists In the recent past, as a result of the increased autonomy of physical therapists in executing their duties, there has been an increase in the number of ethical and legal responsibilities of individuals in this […]
• Ethics in Tourism and Hospitality Industry Report The ability to effectively articulate high levels of ethics in tourism and hospitality industry is a key determinant of the capacity for the aforementioned sector to trace its missions, achieve the set goals, objectives and […]
• Comparison of Codes of Ethics: The American Counseling Association and the American Psychological Association Both the Psychologist and the counselor abide to the same codes of conduct with regard to terminating their services to a client.
• Business Ethics of the H&M Company Additionally, all employees should have a written contract in their local language provided to them by H&M, and they should be aware of the terms and conditions.
• Family Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas One of the ethical dilemmas in the case is that of deciding whether or not to disclose the information about Breen’s relationship with her boyfriend to her parents.
• The Ethical Issues of the Mattel Toy Scandal The reasons for the considerable recalls of products were that the toys manufactured on the facilities based in China were dangerous for children’s health due to the lead paint discovered in the toys and the […]
• The Link Between Professionalism and Ethics In a sum up professionalism is the equality of being honest and faithful to the profession. Successful engineers are as a result of the moral behaviors and work ethics they endorse in their day to […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice If one is to discuss the issue with the senior management of the organization in which the crime occurred, there is a high chance that the issue will not be taken as seriously due to […]
• Ethics and Safety in Nursing Informatics It is suggested that, first of all, nurses need to inform patients about the type of the accumulated data that may be disclosed and with whom it can be shared prior the beginning of the […]
• Pornography and Ethics This paper is going to assess the extent to what extent is the definition of pornography qualified to be used, and if pornography is ethical in modern society.
• Apple’s Ethical Challenges Regarding Labor Practices Despite the fact that this aspect violates Apple’s principles of ethical supply chains, which prohibit the use of child labor, the company continued to cooperate with the supplier for another three years.
• Media Ethics and Principles of Media Companies The ethics of the media becomes necessary in order to address the above issues. The issue of “media ethics” seeks to promote the best standards in the industry.
• The Ford Pinto Case and Ethical Dilemma Lee Iacocca, the Ford company’s president, was accused of disregarding the need to improve the safety of Pinto cars due to the increased cost.
• Ethical Relativism: Advantages and Disadvantages It is necessary to acknowledge this difference to understand that the world is diverse and unequal. The most significant weakness refers to the fact that it is possible to rely on ethical relativism to justify […]
• Early Childhood Education Center’s Ethical Dilemma Therefore, it is necessary to involve different people in the discussion of this case because there are several ethical responsibilities applied to a new child, the children of the class, the staff, parents, and the […]
• Pornography: Breaching Ethical Standards However, before delving into the details surrounding this argument, it is important to understand the ethical issues and breaches of pornography.
• Chernobyl Disaster: Ethical Aspects and Effects The cause of the disaster was a faulty design that caused a nuclear reactor to overheat and explode. The constructors of the plant violated the construction technology and there were plenty of design deviations.
• Max Weber – The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism Max Weber in his book the protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism sought to explain the emergence of the modern capitalism and the origin of the modern secular and industrial society.
• Unethical and Ethical Issues in Prisons (Corrections) This is one of the unethical practices that are evident in the prison systems. In this case, prison warders and authorities are usually noted to be actively involved in the business.
• My Sister’s Keeper: Ethical and Legal Issues When Sara is informed by Campbell that her daughter had the right to reject the kidney donation surgery, Sara argues that Anna was too young to decide for herself and that she was going to […]
• Ethical Dilemma: Example, Problem, and Solution Secondly, I was supposed to show other employees that no one is above the policies of this company and if anyone commits a mistake the individual must be punished.
• Musk and Tesla: A Strong Code of Corporate Ethics? These guidelines consider the ideas, norms, laws, and business regulations that govern how individuals act within the institution and how the firm operates in the community.
• Adelphia Communications Scandal and Ethical Issues This is because of the huge sums of money involved, and the suspicious arrangement the Rigas family made with the company that required the company and the Rigas family to be guarantors of each other.
• Key Ethical Issues in Retailing and Distribution As Barnett et al.observed empirically, there are several self-evident dimensions to ethical consumerism which players in retail and distribution function should comprehensively be aware of, for these dimensions may act in an organized and collective […]
• Ford Pinto’s Fuel System Redesign and Ethics However, the core of the decisions that the head management of Ford Motor Company had to make to resolve the key issues go far beyond the concept of cost-benefit analysis.
• Analysis of the Differences Between Laws and Ethics Ethics tells people what they ought to do and in what ways. In conclusion, law and ethics are similar because they aim to promote order and cohesion in society.
• Ethical issues in the Digital Age Since the music is copyrighted, it is also against the law to download and distribute it. This leads to the question regarding the inherent value of using the social networking sites when the repercussions are […]
• The Mechanical Engineering Ethics Understanding Ethics refers to a set of values and principles that guide the conduct of members of a profession. Shared responsibility is a quality that enables one to work in a manner that promotes cooperation.
• Ethical Analysis of the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew Chapters 5-7 The Sermon on the Mount refers to a portion of the Bible that contains some of the things that Jesus said and the lessons that He taught to his disciples.
• Business Ethics Theories and Values The theory of Moral Unity is amongst the fundamental opinions featuring within the age-old debacle of seemingly tolerant morals within the business environment.
• The Philosophical Approaches to Ethics The main point of the argument is that philosophical approaches to business ethics provide guidelines for making ethical business decisions, but some of these approaches are controversial and have no support from most moral scholars.
• Kant’s Ethical Theory of Deontology in Nursing Kant advanced two approaches of categorical imperative; first, the maxim of an individual’s action should be universal; and second, a person should treat another with dignity, not as means to reach personal objectives. Also, section […]
• The Ethics of Critique Thus, the philosophers’ concept of human freedom and equality as the highest value is the ground for to struggle for human rights. As a result, showing care and concern contributes to the spread of moral […]
• Nestlé’s Ethical Issues in Developing Countries In this case, the ethical elements of the operations pose questions about the motives of such corporations, which results in displeasure to the greatest majority.
• Law Ethics: Something Rotten in Hondo Lastly, the most morally right thing to do is to provide a scenario where employees are not exposed to health hazards and risks by virtue of their engagement with Adnak.
• Volkswagen Company’s Emissions Fraud: Ethical Issues The scandal, otherwise known as the VW emissions fraud, occurred when the EPA carried out a series of tests on VW vehicles and discovered that the cars were not in compliance with emission regulations established […]
• Tesco Company Business Ethics: Deontology and Teleology However, it is the policy of the company to consider the effect that the product will have on the people or customers rather than considering the financial gain that the company will derive from such […]
• Ethical Issues Surrounding Intellectual Property Rights The owner of the copyright in spite of the absence of necessity to provide the copyright notice on the work is the only person who can determine the ways of possible usage of the work.
• Ethical Subjectivism and Emotivism in Society The challenge is that they are unable to account for the use of moral reason as a driver behind an emotive statement.
• Ethical Dilemmas in Counselling and Treatment Methods The case of Brett has become an ethical issue based on the following; questions are revolving around what information can be released to the parents and parents request to review the diagnosis since no procedure […]
• Workplace Ethical Issues Essay Harassment of the co-workers or clients is one of the major workplace ethical issues that involve violation of the employers’ workplace ethics policy.
• Ethics in Social Research: Peculiarities of the Genie Case and the Milgram Experiment The main idea of the experiment consists in the physical and even moral injury of the object. The consent of the experiment was not informed.
• Differential Aptitude Test and Ethical Principles According to the representatives of the psychological organizations and committees, “the psychometric qualities of the DAT are rated highest” among all the tests invented for the evaluation of the cognitive abilities in both children and […]
• Key Issues Concerning Computer Security, Ethics, and Privacy The issues facing computer use such as defense, ethics, and privacy continue to rise with the advent of extra ways of information exchange.
• Dealing With Ethical Issues in the Workplace In the second case, the initial perception of the manager as to the applicant’s personality is that of a qualified, mature and sociable person.
• Ethical Analysis of the Movie “Liar, Liar” The story described in the movie is one of egoism and a self centered person who will resort to anything just to win the case.
• Wal-Mart’s Ethical Issues This paper forms an analysis of the ethical issues raised against or for Wal-Mart Corporation and the potential outcomes of some of the negative or conflicting views about the firm.
• Smartphone-Related Cognitive and Ethical Issues The remarkable rise of smartphones and the rapid adoption of mobile computing are two of the most important developments in contemporary information and communication technology.
• Ethics and Civics of the Patriots in the 18th Century The statement mentioned in the Declaration of Independence about the necessity for people to dissolve their political bands and be equal within the frames of the Laws of Nature proved the grievance of the patriots.
• Apple Corporation Social and Ethical Responsibility The paper will further discuss the methods Apple can utilize to make sure its standards on wage and benefits are adhered to, determine the impacts of increased prices of goods on customer purchasing behavior, and […]
• Does Possession of Knowledge Carry an Ethical Responsibility? Ethical responsibility imposed on the power authorities is ignored and, therefore, people are unaware of the consequences of their reforms and actions.
• Ethical Dilemma as Witnessed in the Cassavetes’ Film “My Sister’s Keeper” Organ transplants require the voluntary participation of donors and the society at large in donating the vital organs from living or deceased members of the society.
• Business & Legal Issues: Ford Pinto To be more precise, the Ford Pinto case will be evaluated from the legal point of view to establish which laws were violated in the process of corporate decision-making that led to the production of […]
• Ethical and Legal Considerations in Quantitative Research The proposed research question is appropriate to be used in the study the aim of which is to find out how the students’ interest in playing computer and video games can predict their achievement at […]
• Ethical Dilemmas in Social Workers’ Practice In order to resolve the emerging dilemma, it is necessary to identify the involved stakeholders, model two possible courses of events, evaluate the implications of each and come to a conclusion regarding the preferential option […]
• Ethics of Politics of Social Research This is followed by describing the political aspects focusing on the possible deviations in the procedure of the research due to the influence of personal and political beliefs of the researcher.
• Ethical Issues in the Novel “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley The paper looks at the ethical issues that the author highlights in her paper, such as the promotion of artificial life to help in the development of the discussions of this paper. Victor Frankenstein is […]
• What is an ethical choice? Once all these steps are followed and one is still uncertain if they will be making an ethical choice, then one would rather opt for the alternative that will turn out the majority good for […]
• Three Ethical Lenses on Human Trafficking As a result of the issue’s illegality, a deontologist will always observe the law and, as a result, will avoid or work to eradicate human trafficking.
• The Concept of Environmental Ethics Environmental ethics is concerned with the ethical relationship of human beings with the environment. Human beings must relate ethically with all other living organisms.
• Reflection of Ethical Self-Assessment I am good at managing my efforts on the way of ethical improvement and ethical conduct, I strive to achieve compliance with the accepted ethical model and I am already able to move further from […]
• Laws and ethics Since the law must be obeyed, it becomes enforceable and that is why institutions such as the police and the judiciary have a duty of enforcing the law.
• Ethical Issues With the Stanford Prison Experiment – Essay Nowadays, modern psychologists are expected to adhere to a strict and rigid code of ethical principles in order to ensure the validity of their practices and the safety of the patients and participants.
• Immanuel Kant Ethics Kant argues that, “a person is good or bad depending on the motivation of their actions and not on the goodness of the consequences of those actions”.
• Ethical Leadership: Martin Luther King All individuals were expected to consider his actions and embrace the idea of morality. Through the use of a positive community culture and empowerment tactics, King managed to model such desirable behaviors.
• Public Administration Ethical Dilemma and Theories Smith should take the responsibility of ensuring that the needs of the majority are upheld since the welfare of the community, and the organization is of importance.
• Sex Shop Opening in Germany: Legal and Ethical Issues The government in Germany intervened in the prostitution and drug sector immediately after the increasing number of cases of women trafficking and kidnapping in different parts of Germany.
• Ethical and Social Responsibility Issues in IHRM Despite the fact that different scholars hold different opinions about ethics and corporate social responsibility, there is need for a multinational firm to include the two in its operations so as to create a good […]
• The Concept of Ethics in Groups Understanding group dynamics plays a crucial role in increasing the level of success in a group. Second, group members should conduct themselves in a manner that promotes the values and interests of their group.
• Ethics Types, Differences, Applications To be more particular about the two types above of ethics, virtue ethics can be defined as the type of ethics that “focuses on the character traits and nonobligatory ideas that facilitate the development of […]
• Wall Street (1987): Ethics Analysis As anticipated, Gekko takes Bud in and offers him a big opportunity to make good money; however, Bud has to play the game according to rules.
• Public Administration: The Ethical Challenges This case study of craftsmanship inspects the ethical implication of integrating the same principles of cultivating virtue and embracing collective values.
• Ethical Issues in Interior Design Lastly, is the issue of honesty and an interior designer should always be honest as this principle forms the core of customer relations in any business.
• Ethical Dilemmas Facing Teachers The proponents of this system claim that it is authentic and offers a first hand experience to the learners. The needs in this system include having a strong foundation in the areas that the knowledge […]
• ASCA Ethical Standards for School Counselors Second, school counselors should ensure and conform to the standards of confidentiality, including appropriate disclosure of information. The fifth aspect is counselors’ mandate to ensure they do not have relationships that are likely to compromise […]
• Cooper’s Ethical Decision-Making Model: Corcoran State Prison According to Rigg and Caruso, the actions of the fellow prison guards were unwarranted and amounts to unethical behavior as well as contrary to the mission and values of the California Department of Corrections and […]
• Ethics and Abortion In weighing the options concerning whether to perform an abortion and how to care for the patient, a healthcare entity must consider the legal implications, the patient’s and provider’s beliefs as well as the health […]
• Samsung Company’s Quality Issue and Kantian Ethics Focusing on the distribution of the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, it can be stated that the company wanted to sell its product and to obtain profit, failing to ensure that its phone had already been […]
• Ethics in Group Counseling According to Crespi, it is important for the counselor and learners to learn the legal principles that guide the process of counseling by governing the standards to be observed by the counselor and the client.
• Business Ethics: Is It Profitable? Business ethics is a set of professional ethics that tries to inspect ethical problem or the principles of ethics that can emerge in a business organization. Implementation of ethics in a business organization increases costs […]
• Ethics of Informed Consent in DNA Research The ethical issue that is the focus of the current study is the use of patient DNA for research by a company without their knowledge and consent.
• Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Ethical Consideration In the ADNOC’s context, it is important to relate the progress of the organisation with the ethical culture to ensure that its core values are maintained.
• The Ethical Decision-Making (EDM) Model Principles The two possible courses of action are either unfriending Andrea and continuing to ignore her or explaining the importance of autonomy and confidentiality to the client.
• Ethical Reasoning: Dominant and Alternative Approaches In order to compare the dominant and alternative approaches to ethical reasoning, they were divided according to the perspectives of these theories on the priority of the means of achievement and the goal.
• Ethical Dilemma in Nursing Case Study Today, being a nurse is associated with a number of complexities due to the need to comply with diverse obligations in social, political, and healthcare segments.
• “Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice” by Pollock If hunting is the primary means of survival of a particular society, the euthanasia of the elderly and the sick can be deemed acceptable.
• Integrity in Organizational Culture and Ethical Theories To create a value-driven culture of integrity, it would be useful to consider Kantian ethics and virtue ethics as the two primary ethical theories.
• Business Ethics and Child Labour According to the case, business ethics is the observance of rules and regulations that have been put in place. Child labour is one of the serious ethical issues that businesses have to deal with in […]
• Ethical and Illegal Computer Hacking For the ethical hackers, they pursue hacking in order to identify the unexploited areas or determine weaknesses in systems in order to fix them.
• Legal and Ethical Issues in Sports It is also important to take into account the health problems of athletes caused by doping and address them on a case-by-case basis.
• Corey’s Ethical Decision-Making Model Application The goal is to determine if the company has violated human rights and evaluate the possibility for the client to fight for his rights with the organization. One of the courses of action is to […]
• Consequentialist, Deontological, and Virtue Ethics: Ethical Theories Ethical principles are rooted in the ethical theories, and ethicists, when trying to explain a particular action, usually refer to the principles, rather than theories.
• The Volkswagen Scandal: Ethical & Unethical Choices Indeed, seeing that Volkswagen has jeopardized both the safety and the health of the global community by allowing the production and purchase of air-polluting cars, it is expected that the levels of trust between the […]
• The Ethics of Using Old Examination to Study Introduction Ethics Ethics of using past exams to study for tests Whether it is ethical to use past exams not given by the instructor to study for tests Conclusion Various ethical issues have been […]
• Death Penalty and Ethics The arguments for the capital punishment as explained earlier are also extremely weak and the practice of death penalty is morally wrong.
• Ethical Responsibilities in Social Work It leaves a negative mark on the reputation of the company in which the fraud was committed and, in the long term, on the social sphere as a whole.
• Fifteen Ethical Principles of the Universal Declaration on Bioethics Hence, giving sufficient data and teaching the patient about actual factors, and getting educated consent before exposing a patient to any medical procedure is fundamental.
• Selling Pets and Pets’ Products: The Ethical Considerations Raised. To argue the first question, it is true that there are many ethical risks associated with engaging in the business of pets and pet products.
• Jaguar Land Rover Business Strategy and Ethics This study evaluates the internal and external environments using different tools and techniques, including the PEST and four corners models to study the impact of CSR in line with the Jaguar Land Rover business strategy.
• Ethics in the Business Research It is, therefore, extremely essential for the researcher to assess the weight of every research issue in order to determine how best to approach the whole research process without causing harm to any one.
• Ethics in Financial Management It should however, be noted that despite the benefits, a number of companies have failed in the past simply because of ethics related issues.
• Ethical Issues in the “Unthinkable” Film However, the crescendo of the interrogation is reached when the nuclear explosions are about to occur, and the interrogator threatens the victim’s family in a bid to stop the explosion by locating the bombs; the […]
• Eastern Ethics and Natural Law On the other hand, the Aristotelian system relies on the process of phronesis that manifests harmony and happiness through the practice of self-restraint and temperance.
• Accounting Ethical Issues in New Zealand For the case of king, he deliberately took the appointment without putting in place any precautions to ensure that the conflict of interest is reduced to the minimum.
• Lockheed Corporation’s Ethical Decision-Making During the same period, Lockheed recorded numerous losses due to the changes experienced in the market. The leaders in the firm also continued to pay bribes to different government officials.
• Cooper’s Ethical Decision-Making Model The first step in this approach is ascertaining and giving a description to the facts of a situation including the main participants, their perceptions, the issues and the threats pose by the situation.
• Ethical Failure in the Pulpit: Impact on the Church, Congregation, and Community It claims that when the people of the congregation of the minister sin, the priest is the one to blame. Thus, the pulpiteer must avoid ethical failures in addressing their congregation, as they know the […]
• Ethics of Nepotism in Business Practicing nepotism in an organization from the basic concern is that it brings about the issue of contradiction of the typical customs in employment to hiring and promoting the most qualified and performing candidates for […]
• “The Devil Wears Prada”: Morality and Ethics Andy on the other hand chooses clothes that she deems to be smart, comfortable, and good enough for the first day on the job, which in reality is utterly unfashionable.
• Personal Values and Beliefs in Ethical Issues Therefore, the constructs of deontology have enabled me to make decisions based on my responsibilities and obligations as per the expectations of society.
• Value and Ethics in Organizations Values generally refer to the things or traits that are important to someone “In an organization, values refer to what an organization stands for and what should be the basis for the behavior of its […]
• Ethics in Advertising and Its Importance Therefore, the following essay describes why ethics in advertising is an issue that requires increased attention, the types of advertising, and the benefits of advertising.
• Ethics in Product Safety of Takata Corporation Later on Takata became Takata Corporation, and in the early 1980s, it expanded to Korea, the United States, and Iceland. According to Cross and Miller Takata Corporation had a major problem in the year 2013 […]
• Nonmaleficence as Ethical Principle in Healthcare For this reason, the critical responsibility of the health manager is to promote an ethical culture. The nonmaleficence principle means not causing harm and contributes to caring for patients and establishing trust in hospital staff.
• The Role of Ethics in “Gone Baby Gone” In this paper, I intend to discuss Patrick’s moral position through the lens of deontology and, thus, prove that Patrick was right in getting Amanda back to her mother. This is shown in the moral […]
• Fast Fashion and Ethical Consumption A narrative literature review is selected to analyse and synthesise available information on the impact of fast fashion on society. The integration of articles is expected to reveal the gaps, tendencies, and limitations that exist […]
• The Unilever Global Company’s Business Ethics The company has code of business principles that gives an account of the various ways in which its activities are to be carried out and it ensures that everyone working in the company follows it […]
• Samsung’s Ethical Dilemma of Child Labor The paper will critically analyze the ethical dimensions of the dilemma from the perspective of the utilitarian ethical theory. It will be argued that according to the fundamental principles of the theory, the company’s behavior […]
• Nursing Ethical Principles Application However, the nurse must assure the patient that his request would remain between him and the nurse to avoid any complicated situations with his wife: “collect, use, and disclose health information on a need-to-know basis […]
• Conservation and Preservation Ethics Therefore, man is a manager of the environment in conservation while the environment itself is its manager in preservation ethics. The challenge with preservation and conservation ethics is that these points of view tend to […]
• Immanuel Kant’s – Duty Theory of Ethics Kant indicates that the goodness has not to contain a meaning of the consequences and results, it is good in itself.
• Ethical Decision Making and Sustainable Development To begin with, making ethical decisions require consideration of the facts, the subjects involved, the best approach to follow, the effect of the approach, and the examination of the whole process.
• Surrogacy and Its Ethical Implications on Nursing In simpler terms, it is the carrying of a pregnancy by a woman who is not the biological mother of the child.
• Ethics in Cyber Age Therefore, ethics in cyber age is the breakdown of the environment and social impact of cyber space or computer technology along with the resultant development and validation of policies regarding ethical use of the information […]
• Perioperative Practitioners: Ethical, Professional, and Legal Issues The innovative framework in regard to perioperative nursing profession provides the opportunity to the health and social care which is related with the theatre practitioners.
• Google and Ethics The purpose is to show that a company like Google must behave ethically and all the decisions made by managers and other superiors should be guided by the highest morale and respect to the surrounding […]
• Nursing Code of Ethics The nurses in all the aforementioned positions and context, performs with respect and compassion for the innate distinctness, worth, and dignity of each person, without any regard for his or her social or financial status, […]
• The Ethical Issues in Financial Management A reputation of integrity enables a financial manager to attract other employees to believe in the company’s vision and work towards implementing the company’s objectives.
• Ethics of Data Misuse in Urban Planning Every member of the AICP is responsible to the people who give their data and are the actual consumers of the projects that the planners initiate.
• Ethics of Decision-Making in Social Work
• Ethical Issues in Terri Schiavo Case
• Professionalism and Ethics in Public Administration
• Enron Management Practices’ Ethical Principles
• Richard Angelo: A Serial Killer and His Ethical Dilemma
• Abortion and Virtue Ethics
• Ethical Issues Associated With Psychological Testing
• Clinical Laboratories’ Legal and Ethical Issues
• Business Law and Ethics: Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball
• Business Ethics Differences Around the World
• Volkswagen Emissions Scandal From Ethical Viewpoint
• Dante’s Ethical System in His Divine Comedy
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• What is the Importance of Ethics When it Comes to Governance?
• NSPE Code of Ethics vs. Other Engineering Codes Essay
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• Violation of Basic Ethical Principles in the Tuskegee Syphilis Study
• Scientists’ Moral Responsibility and Ethics
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• The Four Steps Leading to Ethical Behavior
• Ethical Theories and Nepotism Relationships
• H&M Company Ethical Culture Analysis
• Cultural Differences and Ethics of International Trading
• Ethical and Unethical Leadership in Healthcare
• Ethics: Should Batman Kill the Joker?
• Engineering Ethics of Chernobyl and the Three Mile Island
• Code of Ethics in Education
• Zodiac Movie: Crime, Media Reporting and Ethics
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• Ethical Issues Faced By Multi-National Companies Operating In Less Developed Countries
• Child Labour: Ethical Aspects of Employment
• Ethics and Human Resource Management
• The Coca-Cola Company Struggles With Ethical Crisis
• Ethics of Group vs. Individual Practice Compared
• The Wells Fargo Firm’s Ethical Case Analysis
• Spirituality and Ethics: Christian Perspective and Postmodern Relativism
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• Medication Errors: Ethical & Legal Implications
• Christian Ethics Issues and Abortion
• Ethical Dilemmas: An Analysis of Two Cases
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• Business Ethics: Can a Corporation Have a Conscience?
• Engineering Ethics and Legal Standards
• Ethical Theories and Ethical Business Practices
• Can Advertising to Children be Ethical?
• Kant’s Ethics: Objection to Lying
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• Deontological Ethics and Morality
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• The Acme Title Pawn Employee’s Ethical Dilemma
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• Ethics of Online Education
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• Military Professional Ethics
• The Ethical Issues of Genetic Engineering
• Cultural Clash in the Board Room: An Ethical Dilemma Among Top Management in Almond China
• W. K. Clifford, ‘The Ethics of Belief’
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• Medical Ethics in Radiography
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• “The Ethics of Belief” by William K. Clifford
• Ethical Issues in Mass Communication and Advertising
• Ergonomics in Job and Workplace Design
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• Christian Doctrines and Environmental Degradation
• Ethical Manager
• Corporate Social Responsibility at the Tesco PLC
• The Connections between the MEAA Code of Ethics and Three Philosophical Traditions
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• Ethics Unwrapped: Apple Suppliers & Labor Practices
• Ethical Implications of Implementing Religion or Spirituality Into Therapy
• Mill’s vs. Kant’s Ethical Theories on Lie
• Ethical Dilemma in “The Reader” Film by S. Daldry
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• Counseling Ethics in Tarasoff vs. Regents Case
• Egoism and Altruism as Ethical Theories
• Ethical Behavior as to Returned Food and Beverages
• Ethics of Airlines’ Extra Charge for Obese People
• Factors Influencing Individuals’ Ethical Behaviour
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• An Ethics Program for a Small Business Venture
• Louis Pojman’s Ethical Theory
• Feminist Ethics Concept
• Kant’s Duty-Based Ethics at the Workplace
• Ethical Issue: Public Corruption
• The Theory of Ethical Egoism and Utilitarianism
• Counseling Intervention Ethical Concerns
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• The Ethical Issues in the Sports Medicine
• Criminal Justice Ethics of Traffic Police Officers
• Bayview University’s College: Ethical Behavior of Business Students
• Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice
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• Ethical Dilemma & Glyphosate: Post Foods Company
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• Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment and Ethical Principles
• Ethics in “The Corporation” Documentary
• The Ethics of Science in the Film “Jurassic Park”
• Ford Motor Company Ethical Strategies and Policies
• Ethics of Digital Manipulation
• Ethical Issue: Whistleblowing
• Target Behavior Design Ethical Aspects
• Ethics in Entertainment Journalism
• Crane & Matten’s Business Ethics
• Ethics by Linda Pasten
• Business Ethics Strengths and Weaknesses
• Ethical Principles in the Movie The Firm
• Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle
• The Milgram Experiment and Ethical Issues
• Zoom Technology and Its Ethical Issues
• The Ethical Obligation for Nurses in Making a DNR Decision
• The Ethical Issues Associated With Organ Transplantation
• Starbucks: Ethics and Compliance
• Starbucks’ Ethical Accusations
• Code of Ethics in the Hospitality Industry
• “Virtue Ethics and Adultery” by Raja Halwani
• Ethics in Public Administration
• Ethics and Gender: Empowering Societies
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• Ethical Behaviour in the Engineering Workplace
• Ethical Issues in Organizational Behavior
• Application of ethical theory
• Factors and Influences of Integrity and Ethical Behavior by Employees
• Ethical Dilemma: Counselors Engaging in Relations with Clients
• Teleological and Deontological Theories of Ethics Definition
• Virtue and Stoic Ethics in Criminal Justice
• Facial Recognition Technology and Ethical Concerns
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• Ethical Questions and Promotion Assignment
• Nursing Ethics Regarding Abortion
• Medical Ethics – The Four Pillars Explained
• Apple Inc.’s Mission, Vision, and Code of Ethics
• Ethical Codes and Their Importance
• Legal and Ethical Implications in Healthcare
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• Importance of Ethics in Journalism
• Ethical Principles in Case of Belmont Report
• Pressure Ulcers Prevention and Its Ethical Factors
• Ethical Issues in Road Construction
• Biblical and Human Views on Ethical Standards
• “The Ethics of Belief” by Clifford and “The Will to Believe” by James
• The American College of Healthcare Executives Code of Ethics
• Ethical Issues Raised by Edward Snowden’s Whistleblowing
• The APA Code of Ethics
• The Significant Facts and Ethical Issues Surrounding Coca-Cola India
• Ethical Dilemmas in Workplace Analysis
• Surrogacy as the Contemporary Issue in Nursing Ethics: Ethical and Legal Aspects
• Legal and Ethical Implications of Uninsured in the US
• King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud’s Responsible Leadership and Ethics
• Is The Phrase “Business Ethics” A Contradiction?
• Work Ethics: The Role in Contemporary Society
• Plastic Surgery In Pets. Case Studies in Ethical Choice
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• Infanticide: Discussion of the Question and Related Ethical Issues
• Care Ethics: Role of Feelings and Reason
• Role of Ethics in Advertising
• ANA Code of Ethics and Care Management and Coordination in Nursing
• Adopting a Shelter Pet as an Ethical Decision
• Faith Integration: Dora’s Ethical and Legal Decision
• Business Ethics, Globalization and Sustainability
• Profile in Ethical Leadership: Bernard Madoff
• Chick-fil-A Restaurant Chain Ethical Case
• Business Ethics and Law Relationships in Examples
• Affordable Care Act in Ethical Theories
• Alcohol Industry and Business Ethics
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• Milgram’s Experiment on Obedience: Ethical Issues
• H. B. Fuller and His Resistol Products Ethical Case
• The Ethics of Harvesting Eggs from Dead Women
• “Ethics for the Real World” by Ronald Howard and Clinton Korver
• Peer Review of Authorship Ethics
• Contemporary Ethical Issues in Wal-Mart
• McDonald’s Ethical and Moral Dilemma
• Nike From an Ethical Perspective
• The Problem of Codes of Ethics
• Ethics and Computer Security
• Roles of Ethics in Psychological Research
• Resolving Ethical Issues in the Workplace: Utilitarianism and Kantian Ethics
• Vodafone Company and Ethical Principles
• Ethical Issues With Performance Enhancing Drugs in Professional Sports
• The Ethical Dilemma: Siemens
• Ethics: Moral Issues in Business
• Counselor and Ethical Boundaries
• Nike Business Code of Ethics
• Code of Conduct and Ethics in School
• Academic Ghostwriting: Ethical Issues
• Core Values of Social Work: Code of Ethics
• Ethics of Unproven Drugs and Issues
• Truth vs. Loyalty: Tinkov’s Ethical Dilemma
• “Gone Baby Gone” by Ben Affleck: Film’s Ethical Framework
• Apple Inc.’s Business Ethics Strategies
• The American Counseling Association: Code of Ethics
• The Aims of Philosophy of Law: Ethical Issues
• Pros, Cons and Ethics of “Stop and Frisk” Law
• Ethical Analysis of the Actions of General Electric Capital
• Journalism: Media Law and Ethics
• How Ethics Influence Nursing
• KPMG Corporation’s Auditing & Ethical Issues
• Business Ethics and Ethical Decision Making
• Wells Fargo Banking Scandal: Ethical Analysis
• Ethical Obligations of System Administrators
• Ethical Dilemmas in the Nursing Field
• Patients’ Spiritual Needs and Ethical Principles
• Moral Principles and Personal Ethics
• Ethical Issues in Management Researches
• Ethical Dilemma: Swimming Pool Building
• Benetton’s Shocking Advertising and Its Ethics
• Normative Methods in Healthcare Ethics
• Valeant Pharmaceuticals: Ethical Evaluation
• Ethics in School-Based Action Research
• Nike Company: Business Code of Ethics
• Muhammad’s Personality and Character Ethics Inspired Muslim’s Way of Life
• Ethical Issues in Apple Inc.
• An Ethical System of Deontology: Erin Brockovich (2000)
• Pragmatic ethics
• Enron’s (USA) and Parmalat’s (Italy) ‘Scandals’ of 2003/2004: Ethical Issues and Criticisms
• Concept of Bioethics in Society
• Ethical Controversies Surrounding John Watson and Little Albert
• Morality and Ethics: Religion Effect on Human Behavior
• Towards Understanding Baudrillard’s Seduction Ethics and how It Assists to Understand Modern Media
• Knowledge Carries an Ethical Responsibility
• Ethics in Health Administration: Four Principles of Autonomy
• Luxury Fashion Market and Ethics
• Ethical issues in heath care
• Data Ethics in Business
• Ethics and Evidence-Based Research
• Abortion in Australia: Legal and Ethical Issues
• Ethical Issue: Toxic Workplace Culture
• Medical Ethics: Withholding Information From Patients
• Ethical Hedonism: The Principles of Morals and Legislation
• Ethics of Journalism: S.A.D Model Analysis
• Domestic Violence Ethical Dilemmas in Criminal Justice
• The Ethical Approach to the Premature Twins Case
• An Ethical Dilemma and Lapse in Business
• Bioethical Issue and Ethical Theory in “Gattaca”
• Ethical Relativism in Business
• Global Poverty: The Ethical Dilemma
• Ethical Decision-Making: Aristotle on the Sources of the Ethical Life
• Ethics of Television Reality Shows
• Ethical Dilemma: The Missing Needle Protector
• Medical Ethics of Westwood Imaging Centers
• Business Ethics and Stakeholder Management
• The International Olympic Committee’s Ethical Issues
• Theories of Ethics: Virtue, Teleological and Deontological Theory
• College Student’s Ethical Problem
• Four Principles of Medical Ethics
• Personal Code of Ethics and Interpersonal Relationships
• Ethical Research in the Erin Brockovich Film
• Information Technology Code of Ethics & Responsibilities
• Alternative Dispute Resolution: Legal, Social-Ethical, and Biblical Aspects
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• Ethics of Profession Overview
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• Ethics in Nursing: The Most Important Ethical Principles
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• Politics and Ethics in Plato’s Republic
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• Possible Solutions to the Ethical Dilemmas
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• Ethical and Social Responsibility Toward Environment
• Kant’s Ethical Theory: Rational and Free Choices
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• Rolling Stone Magazine’s Ethical and Legal Issues
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• Ethical and Social Implications of Testing
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• The Ethical Decision-Making Model
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• Trust in Business Ethics and Customer Relationship
• Engineering Ethics and Conflict of Interests
• Ethical Decision Making: Restorative Justice
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• Academic Dishonesty in Psychologist’s Ethics
• Counseling Ethical Codes and Diversity Issues
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• Counseling Ethics in 5-Step Decision-Making Model
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• Moral Theology and Ethics Principles
• Engineers and Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethics in the Hospitality Industry
• Ethical Failures in Research
• Case Involving the Model of Ethical Decision-Making
• A Case for Global Ethics
• Ethical Issues in Psychology
• Foundations of Bureaucratic Ethics
• Ethical and Moral Dilemma: McDonald’s
• Code of Ethics: Shell Oil
• Business Ethics Theories From a Practical Perspective
• Moral Development and Ethical Concepts
• Concept of Nicomachean Ethics in Philosophy
• Ethical Leader Characteristics
• Ethical Hacking: Bad in a Good Way
• Business Law and Ethics
• Ethical Concept in “Blood Diamonds” Film by Edward Zwick
• Business Objectives, Ethics and Reputation
• British Airways Ethical System
• ASPA Code of Ethics
• Business Ethics in Multinational Corporations
• Workplace Health & Safety: The Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethics of Cloning
• Corporate Governance and Its Relation to Business Ethics in Case of BHP Billiton and Australian Corporate Governance
• Sainsbury’s and Nokia: Political, Ethical, Economic, and Legal Issues
• Legal and Ethical Issues in International Business
• Environmental Ethics: Land Ethic and the Platform of Deep Ecology
• Ethical Issues in the Workplace: Gilbane Gold
• Moral and Ethical Issues and the Foundation of Special Education
• Ethical Culture Audit: Corporate Policies and Norms
• Aristotle’s Ethical Theory
• Business Ethics in Totalitarian Countries
• The Lego Company’s High Ethical Standards
• The National Contract Management Association’s Code of Ethics
• Business Ethics: Triple Bottom Line
• Human Service Professionals: The Ethical Standards
• Utilitarianism: Ethical Theory in Healthcare
• Campus Rape: Ethical and Social Aspects
• The Ethical Dimension of Family Therapy
• Ethical Dilemma of a 2016 TV Commercial for Milk by Juhayna
• Aristotle’s Philosophy and Views on Ethics
• Ethical Leadership and Ethical Lens Invention
• Ethics: Utilitarian, Deontological, and Kohlberg’s Theory
• Ethical Virtues and Vices
• Blood Transfusion Code of Ethics
• Pharmacy Law, Regulations and Ethics
• Ethics and Educational Requirement
• NASW Code of Ethics: Sexual Contact with Clients
• Role of the Ethical Values for a Human Being
• Personal Christian Ethics Statement
• Ethical Dilemma in Journalism
• Ethical Aspect of Hunting: Dilemma of Hunting Ethics
• Ethical Dilemma of Law Enforcement Code of Ethics
• Ethics of Emergency Care and Patient Consent
• Work Ethics & Goals: Organizational Behavior
• The Role of Business Ethics
• Bio- and Anthropocentrism in Environmental Ethics
• Ethics in the Modern World
• Social Worker’s Personal and Professional Ethics
• The Code of Ethics: Royal Caribbean Cruise Case
• Ethical Issues of Death and Dying
• Ethics in “The Clockwork Orange” Film by Kubrick
• Ethics in Educational Leadership: Theory & Practice
• Costco Company’s Business Diversity, Ethics, Leadership
• Lockheed Martin’s Corporate Ethics
• Altruism and Objectivism in Ayn Rand’s Ethics
• General Motors Company Ethical Issues
• Legal and Ethical Implications for Classroom Management
• The ICN Code and ANA Code of Nursing Ethics
• Confucian Ethics
• Ethical Issues in “Heart of Darkness” by Joseph Conrad
• Business Ethics: Enron
• Culture and Ethical Beliefs: International Marketing Strategy
• Resolving Issues with Ethical Decision Making Process
• How Business Ethics Reflected In Milk Powder Production
• Ethics in the Film “A Time to Kill”
• Counselor ethical boundaries and practices assignment
• Ethical Issues on HIV/AIDS
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• Power and Ethics in Organizations
• FedEx: Implementing Business Ethics
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• The Investigation of Ethical Issues in The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pond
• Professional Values and Ethics
• The Belmont Report Ethical Principles and Guidelines
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• Ethics and Privacy in Organizations
• Corporate Responsibility at Walmart
• Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
• Ethics and Practical Advantage to Believe in God
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• Catholic vs. Principle-Based Ethics
• Abortion-Related Ethical Considerations
• Ethical Dilemma in Law Enforcement: Confidentiality and Misuse of Information
• Ethics and Validity in the Research Process
• Approaches to the Environmental Ethics
• The Atlanta Police Department’s Code of Ethics
• Culture, Ethics, and Law: Ethical Theory and Moral Practice
• The Ethical Use of Technology in Healthcare
• Moral Dilemmas in Business Ethics
• Ethical Dilemma of Stopping City Authority
• Urban Planning Code of Ethics
• Ethics and Morals: Ambiguous Decisions on Imposing a Penalty
• Ethical Issues with Fetal Anomalies
• The Worth of Biomedical Ethics in Nursing Practice
• Police Culture: Criminal Justice Ethics
• Impact of Increased Depreciation on American Movieplex Earnings and Ethics
• Case Study on Ethical Issues: Cyberbullying
• Religion and Spirituality as an Ethical Issue in Healthcare
• The Ethics of Abortion in Nursing
• Relation Between Leadership and Police Ethics
• Ethical Issues in the Affordable Care Act
• Navigating Ethical Concerns in Voluntourism
• Ethical Reasoning and Conformity
• Are Our Business and Ethics Compatible?
• Are Confucianism and Islamic Ethics Applicable in the Contemporary World?
• Are Some Bribes More Harmful Than Others?
• Are There Gender Differences in Ethics in Public?
• Does the Ethics Committee Indian Scenario Adequately safeguard Trial Participants?
• Can Technologies Determine Modern Social Customs and Ethics?
• Can Technology Affect Ethics and Culture?
• Did Thomas Jefferson Abandon His Ethics for the Lousiana?
• Does Business Ethics Make Economic Sense?
• Does Business Ethics Matter?
• Does Collectivism Affect Environmental Ethics?
• Does East Meet West in Business Ethics?
• Does Ethics Improve Stock Market Resilience in Times of Instability?
• Does Ethics Training Neutralize the Incentives of the Prisoner’s Dilemma?
• Does Studying Ethics Affect Moral Views?
• Does the United States Government Have Environmental Ethics?
• Does Virtue Ethics Give Adequate Action Guidance?
• Does Virtue Ethics Make a Significant Contribution to Moral Theory?
• How Are Diversity and Ethics Interrelated?
• How Are Ethics and Politics Related to Aristotle’s Philosophy?
• How Are Ethics Different From Moral?
• How Are Knowledge and Doubt Linked in Mathematics and Ethics?
• How Are Personal Ethics Developed?
• How Did Aristotle Understands the Human Being Through Virtue Ethics?
• How Does Attitude Affect Work Ethics?
• How Can Business Ethics Help Companies?
• How Can Ethics Help to Achieve Happiness?
• Why Death and Ethics Are Inextricably Linked?
• Why Are Environmental Ethics Important in the Preservation of the Natural Environment?
• Why Ethics and Virtue Are Important in Leadership?
• Nicomachean Ethics Essay Topics
• Social Justice Essay Ideas
• Moral Dilemma Paper Topics
• Social Security Paper Topics
• Social Problems Essay Ideas
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Home — Blog — Topic Ideas — 200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay

200 Ethical Topics & Questions to Debate in Essay

Ethical topics and questions are essential for stimulating thoughtful discussions and deepening our understanding of complex moral landscapes. Ethics, the study of what is right and wrong, underpins many aspects of human life and societal functioning. Whether you're crafting an essay or preparing for a debate, delving into ethical issues allows you to explore various perspectives and develop critical thinking skills.

Ethical issues encompass a wide range of dilemmas and conflicts where individuals or societies must choose between competing moral principles. Understanding what are ethical issues involves recognizing situations that challenge our values, behaviors, and decisions. This article provides a thorough guide to ethical topics, offering insights into current ethical issues, and presenting a detailed list of questions and topics to inspire your writing and debates.

Ethical Issues Definition

Ethical issues refer to situations where a decision, action, or policy conflicts with ethical principles or societal norms. These dilemmas often involve a choice between competing values or interests, such as fairness vs. efficiency, privacy vs. security, or individual rights vs. collective good. Ethical issues arise in various fields, including medicine, business, technology, and the environment. They challenge individuals and organizations to consider the moral implications of their actions and to seek solutions that align with ethical standards. Understanding ethical issues requires an analysis of both the potential benefits and the moral costs associated with different courses of action.

⭐ Top 10 Ethical Topics [2024]

• Climate Change Responsibility
• Data Privacy in the Digital Age
• Genetic Engineering
• Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• AI and Automation
• Animal Rights
• Freedom of Speech vs. Hate Speech
• Healthcare Accessibility
• Human Rights in the Age of Globalization

Ethics Essay Writing Guide

Writing an ethics essay involves more than just presenting facts; it requires a thoughtful analysis of moral principles and their application to real-world scenarios. Understanding ethical topics and what constitutes ethical issues is essential for crafting a compelling essay. Here’s a guide to help you address current ethical issues effectively:

• Choose a Clear Topic: Select an ethical issue that is both interesting and relevant. Understanding the definition of ethical issues will help you narrow down your choices.
• Research Thoroughly: Gather information from credible sources to support your arguments. Knowing what ethical issues are and how they are defined can provide a solid foundation for your research.
• Present Multiple Perspectives: Show an understanding of different viewpoints on the issue. This will demonstrate your grasp of the complexity of current ethical issues.
• Use Real-world Examples: Illustrate your points with concrete examples. This not only strengthens your arguments but also helps to explain ethical topics in a relatable way.
• Structure Your Essay: Organize your essay with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. A well-structured essay makes it easier to present your analysis of ethical issues.
• Provide a Balanced Argument: Weigh the pros and cons to offer a well-rounded discussion. Addressing various aspects of current ethical issues will make your essay more comprehensive.
• Conclude Thoughtfully: Summarize your findings and reflect on the broader implications of the issue. This is where you can discuss the impact of ethical issues on society and future considerations.

By following this guide, you will be able to write an ethics essay that not only presents facts but also offers a deep and nuanced analysis of ethical topics.

Selecting the Right Research Topic in Ethics

Choosing the right research topic in ethics can be challenging, but it is crucial for writing an engaging and insightful essay. Here are some tips:

• Relevance: Ensure the topic is relevant to current societal issues.
• Interest: Pick a topic that genuinely interests you.
• Scope: Choose a topic with enough scope for research and debate.
• Complexity: Aim for a topic that is complex enough to allow for in-depth analysis.
• Availability of Sources: Make sure there are enough resources available to support your research.

What Style Should an Ethics Essay Be Written In?

When writing an ethics essay, it is essential to adopt a formal and objective style. Clarity and conciseness are paramount, as the essay should avoid unnecessary jargon and overly complex sentences that might obscure the main points. Maintaining objectivity is crucial; presenting arguments without bias ensures that the discussion remains balanced and fair. Proper citations are vital to give credit to sources and uphold academic integrity.

Engaging the reader through a logical flow of ideas is important, as it helps sustain interest and facilitates a better understanding of the ethical topics being discussed. Additionally, the essay should be persuasive, making compelling arguments supported by evidence to effectively convey the analysis of moral issues. By following these guidelines, the essay will not only be informative but also impactful in its examination of ethical dilemmas.

List of Current Ethical Issues

• The impact of social media on privacy.
• Ethical considerations in genetic cloning.
• Balancing national security with individual rights.
• Privacy concerns in the digital age.
• The ethics of biohacking.
• Ethical considerations in space exploration.
• The ethics of surveillance and data collection by governments and corporations.
• Ethical issues in the use of facial recognition technology.
• The ethical implications of autonomous vehicles.
• The morality of animal testing in scientific research.
• Ethical concerns in the gig economy.
• The impact of climate change on ethical business practices.
• The ethics of consumer data usage by companies.
• Ethical dilemmas in end-of-life care and assisted suicide.
• The role of ethics in the development of renewable energy sources.

Ethical Issues in Psychology

• Confidentiality vs. duty to warn in therapy.
• Ethical dilemmas in psychological research.
• The use of placebo in psychological treatment.
• Ethical issues in the treatment of vulnerable populations.
• The ethics of involuntary commitment and treatment.
• Dual relationships and conflicts of interest in therapy.
• The use of deception in psychological experiments.
• The ethics of cognitive enhancement drugs.
• Ethical considerations in online therapy and telepsychology.
• Cultural competence and ethical practice in psychology.
• The ethics of forensic psychology and assessment.
• The impact of social media on mental health and ethical practice.
• The use of emerging technologies in psychological treatment.
• Ethical issues in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
• The role of ethics in psychological testing and assessment.

Ethical Debate Topics

• Is capital punishment morally justified?
• Should organ donation be mandatory?
• The ethics of artificial intelligence in warfare.
• Is euthanasia ethically permissible?
• Should human cloning be allowed?
• The morality of animal rights vs. human benefit.
• Is it ethical to use animals for entertainment?
• Should there be limits on free speech?
• The ethics of genetic modification in humans.
• Is it ethical to have mandatory vaccinations?
• The morality of government surveillance programs.
• Should assisted reproductive technologies be regulated?
• The ethics of using performance-enhancing drugs in sports.
• Should healthcare be considered a human right?
• The ethical implications of wealth inequality and redistribution.

Medical Ethics Topics

• Ariel Case Study: a Comprehensive Analysis
• The Case for and Against Daylight Saving Time
• Technological Advancements in Medical, Educational & Other Fields
• The Language of Medicine
• Medical Ethics: Beneficence and Non-maleficence
• Overview of What Sonography is
• The Use of Steroids and HGH in Sports
• Media and The Scientific Community Treat People Like Tools
• Informative Speech for Organ Donation
• Medicine in Our World
• The Origin of Medical Terminology
• Preserving Sight: My Journey to Becoming an Optometrist
• Case of Dr. Eric Poehlman's Ethical Violation
• Should The NHS Treat Patients with Self-Inflicted Illnesses
• My Education as a Medical Technologist

Ethics Essay Topics on Business

• Ethics Report on Panasonic Corporation
• Case Study on The ACS Code of Morals
• Differences in Business Ethics Among East Asian Countries
• Business Ethics in Sports
• Business Ethics in Different Countries, and Its Importance
• Selfless Service and Its Impact on Social Change
• Challenges in Doing Business Across The Border
• The Importance of Ethics in Advertising
• Ethical Issues that Businesses Face
• Profitability of Business Ethics
• The Law and Morality in Business
• How Ethnic Variances Effect Worldwide Business
• The Ethical Practices in The Business Sector in the Modern Economy
• Key Responsibilities and Code of Ethics in Engineering Profession
• Analysis of The Code of Ethics in Walmart

Ethics Essay Topics on Environment

• Understanding The Importance of Keeping Animals Safe
• The Importance of Treating Animals with Respect
• CWU and The Issue of Chimpanzee Captivity
• The Process of Suicidal Reproduction in the Animal World
• Analysis of The Egg Industry to Understand The Causes of The High Prices in Eggs
• The Dangers of Zoos
• Importance for Animals to Be Free from Harm by Humans
• Should Animals Be Killed for The Benefit of Humans
• Reasons Why Genetic Engineering Should Be Banned
• What I Learned in Ethics Class: Environmental Ethics
• Nanotechnology and Environment
• Review of The Environmental Protection Act
• How The Idea of Preservation of Nature Can Benefit from Environmental Ethics
• The Relation and Controversy Between American Diet and Environmental Ethics
• Green Technology

Work Ethics Essay Topics

• The impact of workplace surveillance on employee privacy.
• Ethical considerations in remote work.
• Discrimination in the workplace.
• An Examination of Addiction to Work in The Protestant Work Ethic
• The Work Ethic of The Millennials
• My Understanding of The Proper Environment in the Workplace
• Social Responsibility & Ethics Management Program in Business
• The Maternity Benefits Act, 1961
• The Issue of Stealing in The Workplace
• Chinese Work Management and Business Identity
• Ethical Issues of Using Social Media at the Workplace
• The Teleological Ethical Theories
• Learning Journal on Ethical Conflicts, Environmental Issues, and Social Responsibilities
• Social Media at Workplace: Ethics and Influence
• Ethical Issue of Employees Stealing and Whistleblowing

Ethics Essay Topics on Philosophy

• A Critical Analysis of Ethical Dilemmas in Education and Beyond
• Overview of What an Ethical Dilemma is
• The Implications of Exculpatory Language
• Ethical Dilemmas in End-of-life Decision Making
• What I Learned in Ethics Class: Integrating Ethics in Aviation
• Doing What is Right is not Always Popular: Philosophy of Ethics
• An Analysis of Public Trust and Corporate Ethics
• Ethical Concerns of Beauty Pageants
• Simone De Beauvoir’s Contribution to Philosophy and Ethics
• The Impact on Decision-making and Life Choices
• Importance and Improvement of Personal Ethics
• Personal Ethics and Integrity in Our Life
• Analysis of The Philosophical Concept of Virtue Ethics
• Understanding Moral Action
• How to Become a Gentleman
• A Call for Emphasis on Private Morality and Virtue Teaching
• A Positive Spin on Ethical Marketing in The Gambling Industry
• An Overview of The Ethical Dilemma in a Personal Case
• Bioethical Principles and Professional Responsibilities
• Ethical Considerations in Counseling Adolescents
• Ethical Dilemma in College Life
• Ethical Theories: Deontology and Utilitarianism
• Issues of Fraud, Ethics, and Regulation in Healthcare
• Navigating Ethical Dimensions in Education
• The Ethical Landscape of Advanced Technology
• Research Paper on The Ethical Issue of Publishing The Pentagon Papers
• The Trolley Problem: an Ethical Dilemma
• Analysis of "To The Bitter End" Case Study
• Ethical Theories: Virtue and Utilitarian Ethics
• Feminist Ethics: Deconstructing Gender and Morality
• Is Deadpool a Hero Research Paper
• My Moral and Ethical Stance
• The Concept of Ethics and The Pursuit of Happiness
• The Ethics of Graphic Photojournalism
• The Quintessence of Justice: a Critical Evaluation of Juror 11's Role
• The Wolf of Wall Street: Ethics of Greed
• The Importance of Ethics in Our Daily Life
• Analysis of The Envy Emotion and My Emotional Norms
• The Topic of Animal Rights in Relation to The Virtue Theory

Ethics Essay Topics on Science

• The Cause of Cancer as Illustrated in a Bioethics Study
• Bioethical Issues Related to Genetic Engineering
• Ethical Issues in Stem Cell Research
• The Role of Ethics Committees in Biomedical Research
• The Legal and Bioethical Aspects of Personalised Medicine Based on Genetic Composition
• The Ethics of Clinical Trials: Ensuring Informed Consent and Patient Safety
• Ethical Challenges in Neuroethics: Brain Privacy and Cognitive Liberty
• Gene Therapy: Ethical Dilemmas and Social Implications
• Overview of Bioethics The Trigger of Contentious Moral Topics
• The Progression of Bioethics and Its Importance
• The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Medical Ethics
• The Drawbacks of Free Healthcare: Economic, Quality, and Access Issues
• Bioethical Issues in My Sister’s Keeper: Having Your Autonomy Taken to Save Your Sibling
• The Ethics of Biotechnology in Agriculture: GMOs and Food Safety
• Ethical Considerations in Organ Donation and Transplantation

List of Ethical Questions for Students

Exploring ethical topics is crucial for students to develop critical thinking and moral reasoning. Here is a comprehensive list of ethical questions for students to discuss and debate. These topics cover a wide range of issues, encouraging thoughtful discussion and deeper understanding.

Good Ethical Questions for Discussion

• Is it ethical to eat meat?
• Should parents have the right to genetically modify their children?
• Is it ever acceptable to lie?
• Should schools monitor students' social media activity?
• Is it ethical to use animals in scientific research?
• Should companies be allowed to patent human genes?
• Is it right to impose cultural values on others?
• Should the government regulate internet content?
• Is it ethical to have designer babies?
• Should wealthy countries help poorer nations?
• Is it ethical to keep animals in zoos?
• Should there be limits to freedom of speech?
• Is it right to use artificial intelligence in decision-making?
• Should we prioritize privacy over security?
• Is it ethical to manipulate emotions through advertising?

Moral Questions to Debate

• Is genetic modification in humans ethical?
• Should vaccinations be mandatory?
• Is government surveillance justified?
• Is it ethical to use performance-enhancing drugs in sports?
• Is wealth inequality morally acceptable?
• Should education be free for everyone?
• Is it ethical to allow autonomous robots to make life-and-death decisions?

Ethical topics and questions are a rich field for exploration and discussion. Examining these issues, we can better understand the moral principles that guide our actions and decisions. Whether you're writing an essay or preparing for a debate, this comprehensive list of ethical topics and questions will help you engage with complex moral dilemmas and develop your critical thinking skills.

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Writing Ethical Papers: Top Tips to Ace Your Assignment

17 August, 2021

13 minutes read

Author:  Kate Smith

Writing a complex essay paper can be a tough task for any student, especially for those who do not have their skills developed well or do not have enough time for lengthy assignments. At the same time, the majority of college students need to keep their grades high to maintain their right to receive merit-based scholarships and continue their studies the next year. To help you with your ethical papers writing, we created this guide. Below, you will find out what an ethical paper is, how to structure it and write it efficiently. 

What is an Ethical Paper?

An ethics paper is a type of an argumentative assignment that deals with a certain ethical problem that a student has to describe and solve. Also, it can be an essay where a certain controversial event or concept is elaborated through an ethical lens (e.g. moral rules and principles), or a certain ethical dilemma is explained. Since ethics is connected to moral concepts and choices, a student needs to have a fair knowledge of philosophy and get ready to answer questions related to relationships, justice, professional and social duties, the origin of good and evil, etc., to write a quality paper. Also, writing an ethics paper implies that a student should process a great amount of information regarding their topic and analyze it according to paper terms.

General Aspects of Writing an Ethics Paper

Understanding the ethical papers’ features.

Every essay has differences and features that make it unique. Writing ethical papers implies that a student will use their knowledge of morality and philosophy to resolve a certain ethical dilemma or solve a situation. It can also be a paper in which a student needs to provide their reasoning on ethical or legal circumstances that follow a social issue. Finally, it can be an assignment in which an ethical concept and its application are described. On the contrary, a history essay deals with events that took place somewhen earlier, while a narrative essay is a paper where students demonstrate their storytelling skills, etc.

Defining What Type of Essay Should Be Written

Most of the time, ethical paper topics imply that a student will write an argumentative essay; however, ethics essays can also be descriptive and expository. Each of these essay types has different guidelines for writing, so be sure you know them before you start writing your papers on ethics. In case you missed this step in your ethical paper preparation stage, you would end up writing a paper that misses many important points.

Studying the Ethical Paper Guidelines

Once you get your ethical paper assignment, look through the guidelines that your instructor provided to you. If you receive them during the class, don’t hesitate to pose any questions immediately to remove any misunderstanding before writing an ethics paper outline, or ask for references that you need to use. When you are about to write your first draft, don’t rush: read the paper instructions once again to make sure you understand what is needed from you.

Paying Attention to the Paper Topic

The next thing you need to pay attention to is the ethical paper topic: once you are given one, make sure it falls into the scope of your educational course. After that, consider what additional knowledge may be needed to elaborate on your topic and think about what courses of your program could be helpful for it. Once you are done, read through your topic again to recheck whether you understand your assignment right.

Understanding the Notions of Ethical Arguments, Ethical and Legal Implications, and Ethical Dilemma

Last but not least, another important factor is that a student has to understand the basic terms of the assignment to write a high-quality paper. Ethical arguments are a set of moral rules that are used to defend your position on an ethical issue stated in your essay topic. We refer to ethical versus legal implications when we think about the compensation for certain ethical dilemma outcomes and whether it should be a moral punishment or legal judgment. An ethical dilemma itself refers to a problem or situation which makes an individual doubt what position to take: e.g, abortion, bribery, corruption, etc.

Writing Outline and Structure of an Ethics Paper

Every essay has a structure that makes it a solid piece of writing with straight reasoning and argumentation, and an ethics paper is not an exclusion. This paper has an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Below, we will describe how each part of ethical papers should be organized and what information they should contain.

First comes the introduction. It is the opening part of your paper which helps a reader to get familiar with your topic and understand what your paper will be about. Therefore, it should contain some information on your ethics paper topics and a thesis statement, which is a central statement of your paper.

The essay body is the most substantive part of your essay where all the reasoning and arguments should be presented. Each paragraph should contain an argument that supports or contradicts your thesis statement and pieces of evidence to support your position. Pick at least three arguments to make your position clear in your essay, and then your paper will be considered well-structured.

The third part of an ethics paper outline is a conclusion, which is a finishing essay part. Its goal is to wrap up the whole essay and make the author’s position clear for the last time. The thoughtful formulation in this essay part should be especially clear and concise to demonstrate the writer’s ability to make conclusions and persuade readers.

Also, don’t forget to include the works cited page after your writing. It should mention all the reference materials that you used in your paper in the order of appearance or in the alphabetical one. This page should be formatted according to the assigned formatting style. Most often, the most frequently used format for ethical papers is APA.

20 Examples of Ethical Paper Topics

• Are there any issues in the 21st century that we can consider immoral and why?
• What is corporate ethics?
• Why is being selfish no longer an issue in 2023?
• Euthanasia: pros and cons
• Marijuana legalization: should it be allowed all over the world?
• Is abortion an ethical issue nowadays?
• Can we invent a universal religion appropriate for all?
• Is the church necessary to pray to God?
• Can we forgive infidelity and should we do it?
• How to react if you are witnessing high school bullying?
• What are the ways to respond to a family abusing individual?
• How to demand your privacy protection in a digital world?
• The history of the American ethical thought
• Can war be ethical and what should the conflicting sides do to make it possible?
• Ethical issues of keeping a zoo in 2023
• Who is in charge of controlling the world’s population?
• How to achieve equality in the world’s rich and poor gap?
• Is science ethical?
• How ethical is genetic engineering?
• Why many countries refuse to go back to carrying out the death penalty?

Ethical Papers Examples

If you still have no idea about how to write an ethics paper, looking through other students’ successful examples is always a good idea. Below, you can find a relevant ethics paper example that you can skim through and see how to build your reasoning and argumentation in your own paper.

https://www.currentschoolnews.com/education-news/ethics-essay-examples/

https://sites.psu.edu/academy/2014/11/18/essay-2-personal-ethics-and-decision-making/

Ethical Papers Writing Tips

Choose a topic that falls into the ethics course program.

In case you were not given the ethics paper topic, consider choosing it yourself. To do that, brainstorm the ethical issues that fascinate you enough to do research. List all these issues on a paper sheet and then cross out those that are too broad or require expertise that you don’t have. The next step you need to take is to choose three or four ethical topics for papers from the list and try to do a quick search online to find out whether these topics are elaborated enough to find sources and reference materials on them. Last, choose one topic that you like the most and find the most relevant one in terms of available data for reference.

Do your research

Once the topic is chosen and organized, dive deeper into it to find the most credible, reliable, and trusted service. Use your university library, online scientific journals, documentaries, and other sources to get the information from. Remember to take notes while working with every new piece of reference material to not forget the ideas that you will base your argumentation on.

Follow the guidelines for a paper outline

During the preparation for your ethical paper and the process of writing it, remember to follow your professor’s instructions (e.g. font, size, spacing, citation style, etc.). If you neglect them, your grade for the paper will decrease significantly.

Write the essay body first

Do not rush to start writing your ethics papers from the very beginning; to write a good essay, you need to have your outline and thesis statement first. Then, go to writing body paragraphs to demonstrate your expertise on the issue you are writing about. Remember that one supporting idea should be covered in one paragraph and should be followed by the piece of evidence that confirms it.

Make sure your introduction and conclusion translate the same message

After your essay body is done, write a conclusion and an introduction for your paper. The main tip regarding these ethics paper parts is that you should make them interrelated: your conclusion has to restate your introduction but not repeat it. Also, a conclusion should wrap up your writing and make it credible for the audience.

Add citations

Every top-quality paper has the works cited page and citations to demonstrate that the research on the topic has been carried out. Therefore, do not omit this point when formatting your paper: add all the sources to the works cited page and pay attention to citing throughout the text. The latter should be done according to the formatting style indicated in your instructions.

Edit your paper

Last but not least is the editing and proofreading stage that you need to carry out before you submit your paper to your instructor. Consider keeping your first draft away from sight for a day or two to have a rest, and then go back to check it for errors and redundant phrases. Don’t rush to change anything immediately after finishing your writing since you are already tired and less focused, so some mistakes may be missed.

Writing Help by Handmadewriting

If you feel that you need help with writing an ethics paper in view of its chellnging nature, you can contact us and send an order through a respective button. You can add your paper details by following all steps of the order placing process that you will find on the website. Once your order is placed, we will get back to you as soon as possible. You will be able to contact your essay writer and let them know all your wishes regarding your ethical paper.

Our writers have expertise in writing ethical papers including, so you don’t need to worry about the quality of the essay that you will receive. Your assignment will be delivered on time and at a reasonable price. Note that urgent papers will cost slightly more than assignments with a postponed deadline, so do not wait too long to make your order. We will be glad to assist you with your writing and guarantee 24/7 support until you receive your paper.

Lastly, remember that no paper can be written overnight, so if you intend to complete your paper in a few hours, you can end up writing only a first draft with imperfections. If you have only half a day before your task is due, feel free to place an urgent order, and we will deliver it in just three hours.

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Ethical Research Paper Topics

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National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

Your environment. your health., what is ethics in research & why is it important, by david b. resnik, j.d., ph.d..

December 23, 2020

The ideas and opinions expressed in this essay are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent those of the NIH, NIEHS, or US government.

When most people think of ethics (or morals), they think of rules for distinguishing between right and wrong, such as the Golden Rule ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"), a code of professional conduct like the Hippocratic Oath ("First of all, do no harm"), a religious creed like the Ten Commandments ("Thou Shalt not kill..."), or a wise aphorisms like the sayings of Confucius. This is the most common way of defining "ethics": norms for conduct that distinguish between acceptable and unacceptable behavior.

Most people learn ethical norms at home, at school, in church, or in other social settings. Although most people acquire their sense of right and wrong during childhood, moral development occurs throughout life and human beings pass through different stages of growth as they mature. Ethical norms are so ubiquitous that one might be tempted to regard them as simple commonsense. On the other hand, if morality were nothing more than commonsense, then why are there so many ethical disputes and issues in our society?

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One plausible explanation of these disagreements is that all people recognize some common ethical norms but interpret, apply, and balance them in different ways in light of their own values and life experiences. For example, two people could agree that murder is wrong but disagree about the morality of abortion because they have different understandings of what it means to be a human being.

Most societies also have legal rules that govern behavior, but ethical norms tend to be broader and more informal than laws. Although most societies use laws to enforce widely accepted moral standards and ethical and legal rules use similar concepts, ethics and law are not the same. An action may be legal but unethical or illegal but ethical. We can also use ethical concepts and principles to criticize, evaluate, propose, or interpret laws. Indeed, in the last century, many social reformers have urged citizens to disobey laws they regarded as immoral or unjust laws. Peaceful civil disobedience is an ethical way of protesting laws or expressing political viewpoints.

Another way of defining 'ethics' focuses on the disciplines that study standards of conduct, such as philosophy, theology, law, psychology, or sociology. For example, a "medical ethicist" is someone who studies ethical standards in medicine. One may also define ethics as a method, procedure, or perspective for deciding how to act and for analyzing complex problems and issues. For instance, in considering a complex issue like global warming , one may take an economic, ecological, political, or ethical perspective on the problem. While an economist might examine the cost and benefits of various policies related to global warming, an environmental ethicist could examine the ethical values and principles at stake.

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Many different disciplines, institutions , and professions have standards for behavior that suit their particular aims and goals. These standards also help members of the discipline to coordinate their actions or activities and to establish the public's trust of the discipline. For instance, ethical standards govern conduct in medicine, law, engineering, and business. Ethical norms also serve the aims or goals of research and apply to people who conduct scientific research or other scholarly or creative activities. There is even a specialized discipline, research ethics, which studies these norms. See Glossary of Commonly Used Terms in Research Ethics and Research Ethics Timeline .

There are several reasons why it is important to adhere to ethical norms in research. First, norms promote the aims of research , such as knowledge, truth, and avoidance of error. For example, prohibitions against fabricating , falsifying, or misrepresenting research data promote the truth and minimize error.

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Second, since research often involves a great deal of cooperation and coordination among many different people in different disciplines and institutions, ethical standards promote the values that are essential to collaborative work , such as trust, accountability, mutual respect, and fairness. For example, many ethical norms in research, such as guidelines for authorship , copyright and patenting policies , data sharing policies, and confidentiality rules in peer review, are designed to protect intellectual property interests while encouraging collaboration. Most researchers want to receive credit for their contributions and do not want to have their ideas stolen or disclosed prematurely.

Third, many of the ethical norms help to ensure that researchers can be held accountable to the public . For instance, federal policies on research misconduct, conflicts of interest, the human subjects protections, and animal care and use are necessary in order to make sure that researchers who are funded by public money can be held accountable to the public.

Fourth, ethical norms in research also help to build public support for research. People are more likely to fund a research project if they can trust the quality and integrity of research.

Finally, many of the norms of research promote a variety of other important moral and social values , such as social responsibility, human rights, animal welfare, compliance with the law, and public health and safety. Ethical lapses in research can significantly harm human and animal subjects, students, and the public. For example, a researcher who fabricates data in a clinical trial may harm or even kill patients, and a researcher who fails to abide by regulations and guidelines relating to radiation or biological safety may jeopardize his health and safety or the health and safety of staff and students.

Codes and Policies for Research Ethics

Given the importance of ethics for the conduct of research, it should come as no surprise that many different professional associations, government agencies, and universities have adopted specific codes, rules, and policies relating to research ethics. Many government agencies have ethics rules for funded researchers.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• US Department of Agriculture (USDA)
• Singapore Statement on Research Integrity
• American Chemical Society, The Chemist Professional’s Code of Conduct
• Code of Ethics (American Society for Clinical Laboratory Science)
• American Psychological Association, Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct
• Statement on Professional Ethics (American Association of University Professors)
• Nuremberg Code
• World Medical Association's Declaration of Helsinki

Ethical Principles

The following is a rough and general summary of some ethical principles that various codes address*:

Strive for honesty in all scientific communications. Honestly report data, results, methods and procedures, and publication status. Do not fabricate, falsify, or misrepresent data. Do not deceive colleagues, research sponsors, or the public.

Objectivity

Strive to avoid bias in experimental design, data analysis, data interpretation, peer review, personnel decisions, grant writing, expert testimony, and other aspects of research where objectivity is expected or required. Avoid or minimize bias or self-deception. Disclose personal or financial interests that may affect research.

Keep your promises and agreements; act with sincerity; strive for consistency of thought and action.

Carefulness

Avoid careless errors and negligence; carefully and critically examine your own work and the work of your peers. Keep good records of research activities, such as data collection, research design, and correspondence with agencies or journals.

Share data, results, ideas, tools, resources. Be open to criticism and new ideas.

Transparency

Disclose methods, materials, assumptions, analyses, and other information needed to evaluate your research.

Accountability

Take responsibility for your part in research and be prepared to give an account (i.e. an explanation or justification) of what you did on a research project and why.

Intellectual Property

Honor patents, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property. Do not use unpublished data, methods, or results without permission. Give proper acknowledgement or credit for all contributions to research. Never plagiarize.

Confidentiality

Protect confidential communications, such as papers or grants submitted for publication, personnel records, trade or military secrets, and patient records.

Responsible Publication

Publish in order to advance research and scholarship, not to advance just your own career. Avoid wasteful and duplicative publication.

Responsible Mentoring

Help to educate, mentor, and advise students. Promote their welfare and allow them to make their own decisions.

Respect for Colleagues

Respect your colleagues and treat them fairly.

Social Responsibility

Strive to promote social good and prevent or mitigate social harms through research, public education, and advocacy.

Non-Discrimination

Avoid discrimination against colleagues or students on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, or other factors not related to scientific competence and integrity.

Maintain and improve your own professional competence and expertise through lifelong education and learning; take steps to promote competence in science as a whole.

Know and obey relevant laws and institutional and governmental policies.

Animal Care

Show proper respect and care for animals when using them in research. Do not conduct unnecessary or poorly designed animal experiments.

Human Subjects protection

When conducting research on human subjects, minimize harms and risks and maximize benefits; respect human dignity, privacy, and autonomy; take special precautions with vulnerable populations; and strive to distribute the benefits and burdens of research fairly.

* Adapted from Shamoo A and Resnik D. 2015. Responsible Conduct of Research, 3rd ed. (New York: Oxford University Press).

Ethical Decision Making in Research

Although codes, policies, and principles are very important and useful, like any set of rules, they do not cover every situation, they often conflict, and they require interpretation. It is therefore important for researchers to learn how to interpret, assess, and apply various research rules and how to make decisions and act ethically in various situations. The vast majority of decisions involve the straightforward application of ethical rules. For example, consider the following case:

The research protocol for a study of a drug on hypertension requires the administration of the drug at different doses to 50 laboratory mice, with chemical and behavioral tests to determine toxic effects. Tom has almost finished the experiment for Dr. Q. He has only 5 mice left to test. However, he really wants to finish his work in time to go to Florida on spring break with his friends, who are leaving tonight. He has injected the drug in all 50 mice but has not completed all of the tests. He therefore decides to extrapolate from the 45 completed results to produce the 5 additional results.

Many different research ethics policies would hold that Tom has acted unethically by fabricating data. If this study were sponsored by a federal agency, such as the NIH, his actions would constitute a form of research misconduct , which the government defines as "fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism" (or FFP). Actions that nearly all researchers classify as unethical are viewed as misconduct. It is important to remember, however, that misconduct occurs only when researchers intend to deceive : honest errors related to sloppiness, poor record keeping, miscalculations, bias, self-deception, and even negligence do not constitute misconduct. Also, reasonable disagreements about research methods, procedures, and interpretations do not constitute research misconduct. Consider the following case:

Dr. T has just discovered a mathematical error in his paper that has been accepted for publication in a journal. The error does not affect the overall results of his research, but it is potentially misleading. The journal has just gone to press, so it is too late to catch the error before it appears in print. In order to avoid embarrassment, Dr. T decides to ignore the error.

Dr. T's error is not misconduct nor is his decision to take no action to correct the error. Most researchers, as well as many different policies and codes would say that Dr. T should tell the journal (and any coauthors) about the error and consider publishing a correction or errata. Failing to publish a correction would be unethical because it would violate norms relating to honesty and objectivity in research.

There are many other activities that the government does not define as "misconduct" but which are still regarded by most researchers as unethical. These are sometimes referred to as " other deviations " from acceptable research practices and include:

• Publishing the same paper in two different journals without telling the editors
• Submitting the same paper to different journals without telling the editors
• Not informing a collaborator of your intent to file a patent in order to make sure that you are the sole inventor
• Including a colleague as an author on a paper in return for a favor even though the colleague did not make a serious contribution to the paper
• Discussing with your colleagues confidential data from a paper that you are reviewing for a journal
• Using data, ideas, or methods you learn about while reviewing a grant or a papers without permission
• Trimming outliers from a data set without discussing your reasons in paper
• Using an inappropriate statistical technique in order to enhance the significance of your research
• Bypassing the peer review process and announcing your results through a press conference without giving peers adequate information to review your work
• Conducting a review of the literature that fails to acknowledge the contributions of other people in the field or relevant prior work
• Stretching the truth on a grant application in order to convince reviewers that your project will make a significant contribution to the field
• Stretching the truth on a job application or curriculum vita
• Giving the same research project to two graduate students in order to see who can do it the fastest
• Overworking, neglecting, or exploiting graduate or post-doctoral students
• Failing to keep good research records
• Failing to maintain research data for a reasonable period of time
• Making derogatory comments and personal attacks in your review of author's submission
• Promising a student a better grade for sexual favors
• Using a racist epithet in the laboratory
• Making significant deviations from the research protocol approved by your institution's Animal Care and Use Committee or Institutional Review Board for Human Subjects Research without telling the committee or the board
• Not reporting an adverse event in a human research experiment
• Wasting animals in research
• Exposing students and staff to biological risks in violation of your institution's biosafety rules
• Sabotaging someone's work
• Stealing supplies, books, or data
• Rigging an experiment so you know how it will turn out
• Making unauthorized copies of data, papers, or computer programs
• Owning over $10,000 in stock in a company that sponsors your research and not disclosing this financial interest
• Deliberately overestimating the clinical significance of a new drug in order to obtain economic benefits

These actions would be regarded as unethical by most scientists and some might even be illegal in some cases. Most of these would also violate different professional ethics codes or institutional policies. However, they do not fall into the narrow category of actions that the government classifies as research misconduct. Indeed, there has been considerable debate about the definition of "research misconduct" and many researchers and policy makers are not satisfied with the government's narrow definition that focuses on FFP. However, given the huge list of potential offenses that might fall into the category "other serious deviations," and the practical problems with defining and policing these other deviations, it is understandable why government officials have chosen to limit their focus.

Finally, situations frequently arise in research in which different people disagree about the proper course of action and there is no broad consensus about what should be done. In these situations, there may be good arguments on both sides of the issue and different ethical principles may conflict. These situations create difficult decisions for research known as ethical or moral dilemmas . Consider the following case:

Dr. Wexford is the principal investigator of a large, epidemiological study on the health of 10,000 agricultural workers. She has an impressive dataset that includes information on demographics, environmental exposures, diet, genetics, and various disease outcomes such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease (PD), and ALS. She has just published a paper on the relationship between pesticide exposure and PD in a prestigious journal. She is planning to publish many other papers from her dataset. She receives a request from another research team that wants access to her complete dataset. They are interested in examining the relationship between pesticide exposures and skin cancer. Dr. Wexford was planning to conduct a study on this topic.

Dr. Wexford faces a difficult choice. On the one hand, the ethical norm of openness obliges her to share data with the other research team. Her funding agency may also have rules that obligate her to share data. On the other hand, if she shares data with the other team, they may publish results that she was planning to publish, thus depriving her (and her team) of recognition and priority. It seems that there are good arguments on both sides of this issue and Dr. Wexford needs to take some time to think about what she should do. One possible option is to share data, provided that the investigators sign a data use agreement. The agreement could define allowable uses of the data, publication plans, authorship, etc. Another option would be to offer to collaborate with the researchers.

The following are some step that researchers, such as Dr. Wexford, can take to deal with ethical dilemmas in research:

What is the problem or issue?

It is always important to get a clear statement of the problem. In this case, the issue is whether to share information with the other research team.

What is the relevant information?

Many bad decisions are made as a result of poor information. To know what to do, Dr. Wexford needs to have more information concerning such matters as university or funding agency or journal policies that may apply to this situation, the team's intellectual property interests, the possibility of negotiating some kind of agreement with the other team, whether the other team also has some information it is willing to share, the impact of the potential publications, etc.

What are the different options?

People may fail to see different options due to a limited imagination, bias, ignorance, or fear. In this case, there may be other choices besides 'share' or 'don't share,' such as 'negotiate an agreement' or 'offer to collaborate with the researchers.'

How do ethical codes or policies as well as legal rules apply to these different options?

The university or funding agency may have policies on data management that apply to this case. Broader ethical rules, such as openness and respect for credit and intellectual property, may also apply to this case. Laws relating to intellectual property may be relevant.

Are there any people who can offer ethical advice?

It may be useful to seek advice from a colleague, a senior researcher, your department chair, an ethics or compliance officer, or anyone else you can trust. In the case, Dr. Wexford might want to talk to her supervisor and research team before making a decision.

After considering these questions, a person facing an ethical dilemma may decide to ask more questions, gather more information, explore different options, or consider other ethical rules. However, at some point he or she will have to make a decision and then take action. Ideally, a person who makes a decision in an ethical dilemma should be able to justify his or her decision to himself or herself, as well as colleagues, administrators, and other people who might be affected by the decision. He or she should be able to articulate reasons for his or her conduct and should consider the following questions in order to explain how he or she arrived at his or her decision:

• Which choice will probably have the best overall consequences for science and society?
• Which choice could stand up to further publicity and scrutiny?
• Which choice could you not live with?
• Think of the wisest person you know. What would he or she do in this situation?
• Which choice would be the most just, fair, or responsible?

After considering all of these questions, one still might find it difficult to decide what to do. If this is the case, then it may be appropriate to consider others ways of making the decision, such as going with a gut feeling or intuition, seeking guidance through prayer or meditation, or even flipping a coin. Endorsing these methods in this context need not imply that ethical decisions are irrational, however. The main point is that human reasoning plays a pivotal role in ethical decision-making but there are limits to its ability to solve all ethical dilemmas in a finite amount of time.

Promoting Ethical Conduct in Science

Do U.S. research institutions meet or exceed federal mandates for instruction in responsible conduct of research? A national survey

 Read about U.S. research instutuins follow federal manadates for ethics in research 

Learn more about NIEHS Research

Most academic institutions in the US require undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate students to have some education in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) . The NIH and NSF have both mandated training in research ethics for students and trainees. Many academic institutions outside of the US have also developed educational curricula in research ethics

Those of you who are taking or have taken courses in research ethics may be wondering why you are required to have education in research ethics. You may believe that you are highly ethical and know the difference between right and wrong. You would never fabricate or falsify data or plagiarize. Indeed, you also may believe that most of your colleagues are highly ethical and that there is no ethics problem in research..

If you feel this way, relax. No one is accusing you of acting unethically. Indeed, the evidence produced so far shows that misconduct is a very rare occurrence in research, although there is considerable variation among various estimates. The rate of misconduct has been estimated to be as low as 0.01% of researchers per year (based on confirmed cases of misconduct in federally funded research) to as high as 1% of researchers per year (based on self-reports of misconduct on anonymous surveys). See Shamoo and Resnik (2015), cited above.

Clearly, it would be useful to have more data on this topic, but so far there is no evidence that science has become ethically corrupt, despite some highly publicized scandals. Even if misconduct is only a rare occurrence, it can still have a tremendous impact on science and society because it can compromise the integrity of research, erode the public’s trust in science, and waste time and resources. Will education in research ethics help reduce the rate of misconduct in science? It is too early to tell. The answer to this question depends, in part, on how one understands the causes of misconduct. There are two main theories about why researchers commit misconduct. According to the "bad apple" theory, most scientists are highly ethical. Only researchers who are morally corrupt, economically desperate, or psychologically disturbed commit misconduct. Moreover, only a fool would commit misconduct because science's peer review system and self-correcting mechanisms will eventually catch those who try to cheat the system. In any case, a course in research ethics will have little impact on "bad apples," one might argue.

According to the "stressful" or "imperfect" environment theory, misconduct occurs because various institutional pressures, incentives, and constraints encourage people to commit misconduct, such as pressures to publish or obtain grants or contracts, career ambitions, the pursuit of profit or fame, poor supervision of students and trainees, and poor oversight of researchers (see Shamoo and Resnik 2015). Moreover, defenders of the stressful environment theory point out that science's peer review system is far from perfect and that it is relatively easy to cheat the system. Erroneous or fraudulent research often enters the public record without being detected for years. Misconduct probably results from environmental and individual causes, i.e. when people who are morally weak, ignorant, or insensitive are placed in stressful or imperfect environments. In any case, a course in research ethics can be useful in helping to prevent deviations from norms even if it does not prevent misconduct. Education in research ethics is can help people get a better understanding of ethical standards, policies, and issues and improve ethical judgment and decision making. Many of the deviations that occur in research may occur because researchers simply do not know or have never thought seriously about some of the ethical norms of research. For example, some unethical authorship practices probably reflect traditions and practices that have not been questioned seriously until recently. If the director of a lab is named as an author on every paper that comes from his lab, even if he does not make a significant contribution, what could be wrong with that? That's just the way it's done, one might argue. Another example where there may be some ignorance or mistaken traditions is conflicts of interest in research. A researcher may think that a "normal" or "traditional" financial relationship, such as accepting stock or a consulting fee from a drug company that sponsors her research, raises no serious ethical issues. Or perhaps a university administrator sees no ethical problem in taking a large gift with strings attached from a pharmaceutical company. Maybe a physician thinks that it is perfectly appropriate to receive a $300 finder’s fee for referring patients into a clinical trial.

If "deviations" from ethical conduct occur in research as a result of ignorance or a failure to reflect critically on problematic traditions, then a course in research ethics may help reduce the rate of serious deviations by improving the researcher's understanding of ethics and by sensitizing him or her to the issues.

Finally, education in research ethics should be able to help researchers grapple with the ethical dilemmas they are likely to encounter by introducing them to important concepts, tools, principles, and methods that can be useful in resolving these dilemmas. Scientists must deal with a number of different controversial topics, such as human embryonic stem cell research, cloning, genetic engineering, and research involving animal or human subjects, which require ethical reflection and deliberation.

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80 World’s Finest Business Ethics Topics For Research Paper

What is business ethics?  MBA students in college or university need top business ethics research paper topics for their course. Any business cannot exist without ethics. It is a vital aspect that companies in numerous countries uphold to ensure their reliability and credibility.

Building a consensus between the moral aspects and the economic setting is what lecturers aim to see in students with such a paper. You will know how to write more topics on your own painstakingly with our top business ethics paper topic ideas in a moment.

Topics in Accounting: Business Ethics Research Paper

• The perception of tax evasion ethics
• Acceptable ethical behavior in the accounting workplace
• The history of ethics in accounting
• How governments handle accounting ethics
• A case study of philosophers who contributed to the ethics of accounting
• Cultural and political situations leading to accounting ethics
• The concepts behind accounting ethics precepts and their applications
• Different educational approaches in teaching accounting ethics

Corporate Culture Business Ethics Paper Topics

• What role does corporate culture play in business ethics?
• The place of organizational culture in improving performance
• Business ethics in the management of mergers
• Lessons from corporate scandals and organizational crises
• Conducting a corporate cultural “audit.”
• Factors determining the behavior of people in a corporate environment
• How management impacts organizational culture
• Methods used to incorporate ethics into the corporate culture.

Technology Business Ethics Research Topics

• Encoding company values to stop destructive technologies
• How to build a more robust data foundation to enhance security
• Stakeholder privacy in the dissemination of information
• Cultivating trust in destructive technologies
• Demonstrating transparency using technology in business
• Is data surveillance ethical?
• Deploying the technology “power of all.”
• Training business technologists to eliminate product bias
• Advising employees on how technology may affect their jobs in the future

Business Ethics Paper Topics For Advertising

• Is the use of misleading advertising unethical?
• Why do companies use women in product advertising?
• Is it ethical to use minors for business adverts?
• Should alcohol companies advertise before the watershed period?
• Is it ethical to advertise the sale of guns on TV?
• What should happen to agencies with scam adverts?
• Discuss why it is unethical for boxing companies to use provocatively dressed ladies
• The impact of misleading headlines in advertisements
• Is it ethical to use vague and obscene language in advertising?
• Why should cigarette adverts have a warning for excessive use?
• Compare and contrast men versus women adverts. Which ones sell?

Ethical Research Paper Topics in Business during Pandemics

• Is it ethical to hike prices during pandemics
• Should companies lay off their staff during the coronavirus period
• Should small income businesses pay tax during adverse conditions
• Why do enterprises hide commodities in times of crises
• Is it ethical for real-estate agencies to continue charging rent?
• Should governments supply subsidized products to stop competition?
• Why pandemics may increase internal control risks
• Is slashing more than 50% of salaries ethical?
• Should employers grant their employees mandatory unpaid leaves?

Ethics Research Paper Topics for Managers

• Why managers should have a Corporate Conscience
• How good ethics translates to profit: A guide for managers
• A critical approach to the integrity of managers
• The social nature of morality in managerial positions
• Is shrewd bargaining ethical for managers?
• How can managers effectively resolve ethical problems
• How unethical management can affect a company’s bottom line
• Moral management is suitable for both the law and the market
• Ethical managers save companies legal compulsion
• How does good ethics result in excellence for managers?

Interesting Legal Business Ethics Topics

• Why lawyers should not pursue their interests in the representation of a client
• Are law schools teaching legal ethics effectively?
• How should lawyers behave towards each other?
• Should lawyers be compelled to honor their obligation?
• How law and morality conflict
• Can a promise be used in place of a contract?
• How far should companies stand behind their products?
• Is it ethical to use mentally insane people in adverts?
• Claiming a product is better than others in ads.
• Employment discrimination law ethics

Social Media Business Ethical Issues Topics for Papers

• Should employers monitor employee behavior?
• How social media leads to a breach of confidentiality
• Social media and improper business practices and activities
• Have blogs toned-down business ethics?
• Use of social media by employees for their personal, non-company use
• Discuss how employees use social media for the company’s business objectives
• How to ethical answer questions on social media
• Healthy employee social media policies
• How applicable is the Kantian Ethics to the use of social media in business?
• Proper ethical standards for social media use
• Should companies turn off comments on social media?
• Trust and brands management in social media
• How to improve ethics using social media
• Corporate social media policy for companies
• Tips for posting on social media

The list of business ethics topics above should inspire you to get a paper and begin your essay or create more of them.

Our team of eminent writers is on standby to offer you all the writing help you need for your papers on business ethics and much more! All you need to do is to tap that “Place Order” button.

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Ethical Research in Business Ethics

• Editorial Essay
• Published: 29 November 2022
• Volume 182 , pages 1–5, ( 2023 )

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• Gazi Islam 1 &
• Michelle Greenwood 2  

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In this editorial essay, we argue that business ethics research should be aware of the ethical implications of its own methodological choices, and that these implications include, but go beyond, mere compliance with standardized ethical norms. Methodological choices should be made specifically with reference to their effects on the world, both within and outside the academy. Awareness of these effects takes researchers beyond assuring ethics in their methods to more fully consider the ethics of their methods as knowledge practices that have broader institutional consequences. Drawing from examples in published research, we examine five ways in which authors can formulate their methodological approaches with purpose, care and reflexivity.

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Business ethicists are accustomed to confronting the “hard cases” of ethical choices in organizational life. We believe that business ethics scholarship must be equally sensitive to ethical nuances in the design and implementation of research methods in our own activities. In the complexities of research practice, ethical considerations around method and design exceed the standardized templates of methods textbooks. Where research designs begin and end and whom they implicate as protagonists, who receives voice, protection and authority, and what is rendered visible and invisible within the field of study. These are thorny questions that are not amenable to check-list style compliance guidelines, even where such guidelines also have an important role (cf., Greenwood, 2016 ).

In our exchanges with authors and within the editorial team, we have confronted a plethora of hard cases that highlight the challenges of research ethics beyond rule compliance. To what extent should the mode of data collection (such as crowdsourced data or social media platforms) answer to ethical quandaries around digital labour and online surveillance? When should organizations or individuals engaging in ethically problematic practices be named, and when must they be anonymized? To what extent should the relationships between researchers and participants be problematized within methods sections, including financial and power relationships between funders, researchers and participants? What are the respective roles of institutional ethics boards and journal editorial teams (along with other actors in the research ecosystem) in validating the ethical permissibility of a design? When should hard ethical questions lead a study to be rejected at the review stage, rather than passed along to the research community to make its own judgment? Such questions (and many, many more) have filled our days with deep reflection, and the current editorial aims to share some of these reflections with the Journal of Business Ethics community, albeit in necessarily schematic form. Specifically, we aim to both expand thinking about research ethics to include elements that are often considered outside of methods, and situate conventional methodological ethics in relation to this broader vision. The result will be a plea for a research ethics based on purpose, care and reflexivity.

Between Prescriptive and Evaluative Research Ethics

In a previous editorial essay (Islam & Greenwood, 2021 ), we borrowed a distinction by Williams ( 1985 ) between prescriptive and evaluative ethics; the former refers to what one should do, while the latter to what the world should look like. Mapped onto methods, this analytical distinction differentiates between specific methodological practices (e.g., one should design measures that fit the core constructs, one should gather informed consent) and the broader social and practical implications of research (e.g., the goals of science to innovate, educate or emancipate). We emphasize that this is an “analytical” distinction because, in practice, these aspects of ethics are deeply intertwined, and we distinguish them primarily to show how they spill into each other. Actions should be prescribed, at least in part, for the worlds they contribute to making, although in the fog of situated practice, we are often unaware of, or unable to, clearly link our actions to those future worlds.

From this distinction, it is easy to differentiate heuristically between ethics in research methods, that is, the ethical norms and practices internal to research design and execution, and the ethics of research methods, that is, whether those methods should be used in the broader evaluative sense. In many cases, these ethical levels align, with ethical practices working toward an evaluatively desirable world. Gathering informed consent is important because it is desirable to promote a world of autonomous choice (e.g., Hansson, 2006 ). Hypothesizing after the results are known is problematic because promoting false positive statistical results reduces replicability and thus scientific certainty about the world (Kerr, 1998 ). To take the previous example, however, some have argued that “HARK”ing is less ethically problematic when research is transparently exploratory (Hollenbeck & Wright, 2017 ); in this case, what is ethically problematic is not the practice per se, but the lack of transparency between a given practice and its exploratory (rather than confirmatory) intent. As for informed consent, in cases where a signed form substitutes for, rather than expresses, true participant autonomy (cf., Dubois et al, 2012 ), it can obscure rather than clarify the ethics of a research project. To begin with, the presentation of a priori formulated protocols for consent presumes that the identified participant is the only stakeholder in the research who is affected by the research in a manner that would require their consent. Moreover, this protocol may preclude collaborative models in which participants actively construct research protocols with researchers (Hansson, 2006 ). In both of these examples, a practice is justified on the basis of a deeper evaluative motive, but the mapping between the two is imperfect and situation-dependent.

Tensions may appear between prescriptive and evaluative dimensions of research methods, giving rise to ethical polemics or dilemmas. To give one example, we have had recent debates around the ethics of online data crowdsourcing from platforms such as Amazon MTurk (e.g., Newman et al., 2021 ). Much discussion has been given to best practice in terms of construct validity and similar “internal” considerations of research design as well as issues such as “bots” or fraudulent respondent activity that affect validity. However, broader considerations in terms of labour exploitation on online platforms (e.g., Shank, 2016 ) bridge internal and external research ethics, given internal norms for participant autonomy and external considerations of the public good. Less discussed are the systematic effects of widespread use of online data collection for disembodying researchers from participant communities, entrenching economies of digital labour and surveillance, and reifying a context-free individual as the object of social scientific study. These, we would argue, are methodological outcomes that may contribute to undesirable worlds, and thus are materially relevant for ethical consideration.

Other examples illustrate the opposite tension between prescriptive and evaluative research ethics. In a provocative article, Roulet et al. ( 2017 ) describe the potentials of “covert” research, where normally unacceptable practices of researcher concealment are weighed against laudable goals such as revealing workplace abuse or unethical organizational practices. In such cases, practices that are prescriptively problematic (e.g., collecting data without consent, concealing researcher identity) are defended on the grounds that the ethical goods, in terms of creating a better world, legitimate such practices. While the example of online platforms seems more defensible at the level of practice but questionable at the level of broad systemic implications, that of covert research seems more problematic at the level of practices while (possibly) defensible in terms of its ethical purposes.

More than simply a conflict between means and ends, however, such tensions reveal discrepancies between ends that are “localized” as specific practices (e.g., the goal of conducting a valid study according to current norms) and the more broad-based ends of research (e.g., creating a better world through socially reflexive knowledge production). Our challenge at the Journal of Business Ethics as editors, and our counsel to authors, reviewers and editors is to reflexively seek equilibrium between the practical ethics of research design and execution and the broader promotion of the public good that is the ultimate end of science.

Guiding Ethical Research in Business Ethics

Situating research ethics within the relationship between concrete ethical practices and evaluative goals of social improvement adds complexity to ethical decisions, forcing researchers, reviewers and editors to confront real ethical dilemmas that cannot be dissolved in mere compliance practices. We think the recognition of this complexity is salutary. It emphasizes that the review process is one moment in the broader network of evaluative practices that includes—but is not limited to—institutional ethics approval processes prior to submission, ethical and legal considerations of publishing houses and scholarly societies that administer academic production, and reception of research after publication. Each of these moments bring into light different ethical stakes, and we see our editorial role as an important but not exhaustive evaluative moment. From our perspective, our role is not to present a hurdle over which only the most flawless research can pass, but to curate a conversation with the greatest potential for scholarly generativity and progress. This makes our goal a collective one, and we judge research for its ability to promote the field, by being rigorous, by being interesting, by being reflexive, or by some combination of these epistemic virtues. From the research ethics we have outlined we derive certain guiding principles for evaluation.

Showing Links Between Methodological Design and the Broader Purpose of the Study

Business ethics scholarship should clarify its purpose through clearly articulated research questions and hypotheses, while explaining in its methods why specific research practices are important for a broader purpose, and why that purpose is itself ethically relevant. Specifically, the methods discussion should reflect how the ethics-related purpose of the study is consistent with the methodological approach adopted, both in terms of the broad design and specific practices. In short, integration of methods with the wider purpose of the study, and alignment between the two, is a mark of ethically sensitive research.

In their recent study of child labour in Indian cottonseed oil farms, D’Cruz et al. ( 2022 ) demonstrate an exemplary integration of methods and purpose to explore a topic that is notoriously difficult to study methodologically. Drawing on analyses of children’s drawings, together with detailed conversational extracts, the authors paint a powerful picture of the experience of violence in a population of working children. Rather than staying only at the level of lived experiences, however, the authors use those experiences to understand how processes of embedding and disembedding labour within society are manifested at the micro level. Thus, their visual and discursive methods become powerful tools to link everyday suffering with macro processes of economy and society.

Acknowledging the Web of Relationships Within Which Research Methods are Embedded

Each aspect of the research process, from protocol design to data collection to peer review, involves multiple actors who collectively construct the meaning of scholarship (Greenwood, 2016 ). While it may not be possible to make this network entirely visible, the ability to do so increases the transparency and value of a scholarly inquiry.

In his study of external funding on research freedom, Goduscheit ( 2022 ) uses qualitative interviews, program materials and observations to understand how funding bodies shape research outcomes. He shows how expectations from funding bodies can shape the types of topics studied, the ways in which research questions are answered and the forms of research output that are produced. Rather than simply deeming such influences to be unethical, he analyses the positive and negative features of the evolving relationships between researchers and funding bodies and their implications for developing scholarship.

Similarly acknowledging relationships but on a very different topic, Allen et al. ( 2019 ) describe the role of reflexivity in sustainability research, where ecological responsibility can result from acknowledging the multiple relationships between humans and the environment. Promoting an “ecocentric radical-reflexivity”, they point to how methods such as participatory action research and arts-based methods can help identify organizational actors as embedded in ecological relationships. In this example, as in the previous one, research is recognized as more than simply the execution of accepted standards. Rather, ethical research depends on developing sensibilities towards the complex economic and ecological relationships in which scholarship is situated.

Complementing Compliance with Purpose

Ethics should be explicitly discussed as an aspect of methodology, but this is best done when a focus on compliance with standards is complemented by a consideration of core ethical issues and a transparent discussion of how decisions were made in response to those issues. Doing so reveals those decisions as tailor-made for the case at hand and not imposed upon the case without regard for its specificities (Greenwood, 2016 ). In other words, compliance is not a sufficient criterion for ethical research methods, and a methodological approach focused exclusively on ethical compliance criteria may miss the “bigger picture” of the role of the methods in the broader scientific and social goals of the study.

Nielsen’s ( 2016 ) paper on ethical praxis and action research elaborates on how research involves ethical decision making and situated, pragmatic choices that go beyond simply ticking the correct ethical boxes. Describing these from an Aristotelian perspective, he elaborates how researcher-participant interactions give rise to emergent research concerns that are both knowledge-related problems and problems for practice. The ethics of action research in this context is about facing unique problems that cut across the researcher-practitioner divide and can draw upon but are not limited to pre-existing ethics templates.

Adopting an Explanatory Versus a Justificatory Orientation

Methodological descriptions of ethics often have the tone of justification claims legitimizing authorial choices in terms of sample, data collection or analysis. Such justifications are warranted, and are good practice, but we believe that value is added when authors are more forthright about their ethical difficulties and dilemmas. Specifically, we value their attempts to work out those dilemmas transparently for a scholarly audience, that is thereby given access into the workings of scientific decision-making process and not simply presented with a black box labeled “method”. There is more value in showing the path taken to an ethical judgement than simply defending that the end decision was a good one. This also implies that wrong turns, changes of track, and similar ethical revisions should be described and contribute to the value of a paper.

Litz’s and Turner’s ( 2013 ) study of unethical practices in inherited family firms provides an interesting case of how researchers can productively describe the dilemmas they face methodologically. Given the difficulty of gathering data about the unethical practices of family members, they candidly ask “how does one approach a question so laced with shame and stigma?”(p.303). Rather than presenting their method in terms of templates used to justify their choices, they recruit the readers directly into their dilemma and walk them through their choices, which involved confronting participants with dramatic scenarios that allowed them to disclose intimately held views more safely. Ultimately building this technique into a validation exercise and a quantitative analysis, the latter are given credibility by their grounding in the initial researcher dilemma that led to the methodological approach.

Transparency and Reflexivity in Writing and Link Between Methods and Results Sections

Because transparent and reflexive description of methods integrates theoretical considerations within the methods itself, such description allows the method to operate more organically within the broader argument of the paper. Doing so allows authors to establish links between the methods and discussion sections, to describe what went right or wrong, what the limitations and possibilities of the method were, and how future research could remedy possible shortcomings or harms of the given method.

For example, Bontempi et al. ( 2021 ) study of CSR reporting inspired by the case of the Ethiopian Gibe III dam is exemplary of how methods can be used to reflexively and transparently link methods and results. Engaging in a “counter reporting”, the study draws upon conceptual literature, archival and theoretical research, and activist on-the-ground engagement to build an alternative view of reported social engagement around hydroelectric dams. Alternating between inductive and deductive approaches, these authors were particularly reflexive and deeply transparent in their methodological description, including detailed and publicly available information from their codebook in the article’s supplementary materials. The result went beyond the standard critique of CSR discourses to actively create a counter-discourse that was both scholarly and activist in orientation. The resulting discursive struggle continued onto the blogosphere, with methodological debate between the authors and the company itself over methods. Footnote 1 We see such interaction and engagement as key to the social relevance of research.

Purpose, Care and Reflexivity

Research ethics have conventionally been concerned with the procedural aspects of scholarship, in particular the methods. Gold standard in this regard has been to not merely treat ethical standards as hurdles but as aspirations. In this sense an ethical researcher is one who does not only comply but who also cares. We suggest that care requires researcher to actively reflect on and take responsibility for their ethical practices and their research goals, and to situate their practices reflexively within a broader collective process of scholarly inquiry. Thus, we extend the notion of care to embrace the reflexivity of the researcher with regard to their own positionality (and privilege) and with regard to the purpose of research, treating ethics as central to the entire research endeavor. Complementing ethical theorizing that draws data from orthodox empirical methods, we encourage scholars to take up new forms of ethical empirical research in which connections between the conduct of the research and the motivation of the research are deeply and actively formed. The guiding principles we outline in this editorial are aimed at integrating organic, particularized and reflective narratives about the ethical conduct and goals of research in the methods section and throughout the manuscript. Editors, reviewers and authors can all contribute to treating research ethics more centrally in business ethics research.

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Ethical considerations in public engagement: developing tools for assessing the boundaries of research and involvement

• Jaime Garcia-Iglesias 1 ,
• Iona Beange 2 ,
• Donald Davidson 2 ,
• Suzanne Goopy 3 ,
• Huayi Huang 3 ,
• Fiona Murray 4 ,
• Carol Porteous 5 ,
• Elizabeth Stevenson 6 ,
• Sinead Rhodes 7 ,
• Faye Watson 8 &
• Sue Fletcher-Watson 7  

Research Involvement and Engagement volume  10 , Article number:  83 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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Public engagement with research (PEwR) has become increasingly integral to research practices. This paper explores the process and outcomes of a collaborative effort to address the ethical implications of PEwR activities and develop tools to navigate them within the context of a University Medical School. The activities this paper reflects on aimed to establish boundaries between research data collection and PEwR activities, support colleagues in identifying the ethical considerations relevant to their planned activities, and build confidence and capacity among staff to conduct PEwR projects. The development process involved the creation of a taxonomy outlining key terms used in PEwR work, a self-assessment tool to evaluate the need for formal ethical review, and a code of conduct for ethical PEwR. These tools were refined through iterative discussions and feedback from stakeholders, resulting in practical guidance for researchers navigating the ethical complexities of PEwR. Additionally, reflective prompts were developed to guide researchers in planning and conducting engagement activities, addressing a crucial aspect often overlooked in formal ethical review processes. The paper reflects on the broader regulatory landscape and the limitations of existing approval and governance processes, and prompts critical reflection on the compatibility of formal approval processes with the ethos of PEwR. Overall, the paper offers insights and practical guidance for researchers and institutions grappling with ethical considerations in PEwR, contributing to the ongoing conversation surrounding responsible research practices.

Plain English summary

This paper talks about making research fairer for everyone involved. Sometimes, researchers ask members of the public for advice, guidance or insight, or for help to design or do research, this is sometimes known as ‘public engagement with research’. But figuring out how to do this in a fair and respectful way can be tricky. In this paper, we discuss how we tried to make some helpful tools. These tools help researchers decide if they need to get formal permission, known as ethical approval, for their work when they are engaging with members of the public or communities. They also give tips on how to do the work in a good and fair way. We produced three main tools. One helps people understand the important words used in this kind of work (known as a taxonomy). Another tool helps researchers decide if they need to ask for special permission (a self-assessment tool). And the last tool gives guidelines on how to do the work in a respectful way (a code of conduct). These tools are meant to help researchers do their work better and treat everyone involved fairly. The paper also talks about how more work is needed in the area, but these tools are a good start to making research fairer and more respectful for everyone.

Peer Review reports

Introduction

In recent decades, “public involvement in research” has experienced significant development, becoming an essential element of the research landscape. In fact, it has been argued, public involvement may make research better and more relevant [ 7 , p. 1]. Patients’ roles, traditionally study participants, have transformed to become “active partners and co-designers” [ 17 , p. 1]. This evolution has led to the appearance of a multitude of definitions and terms to refer to these activities. In the UK, the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement, defines public engagement as the “many ways organisations seek to involve the public in their work” [ 9 ]. In this paper, we also refer to “public involvement,” which is defined as “research being carried out ‘with’ or ‘by’ members of the public rather than ‘to’, ‘about’ or ‘for’ them” (UK Standards for Public Involvement). Further to this, the Health Research Authority (also in the UK), defines public engagement with research as “all the ways in which the research community works together with people including patients, carers, advocates, service users and members of the community” [ 6 ]; [ 9 ]. These terms encompass a wide variety of theorizations, levels of engagement, and terminology, such as ‘patient-oriented research’, ‘participatory’ research or services or ‘patient engagement’ [ 17 , p. 2]. For this paper, we use the term ‘public engagement with research’ or PEwR in this way.

Institutions have been set up to support PEwR activities. In the UK these include the UK Standards for Public Involvement in Research (supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research), INVOLVE, and the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE). Most recently, in 2023, the UK’s largest funders and healthcare bodies signed a joint statement “to improve the extent and quality of public involvement across the sector so that it is consistently excellent” [ 6 ]. In turn, this has often translated to public engagement becoming a requisite for securing research funding or institutional ethical permissions [ 3 , p. 2], as well as reporting and publishing research [ 15 ]. Despite this welcomed infrastructure to support PEwR, there remain gaps in knowledge and standards in the delivery of PEwR. One such gap concerns the extent to which PEwR should be subject to formal ethical review in the same way as data collection for research.

In 2016, the UK Health Research Authority and INVOLVE published a joint statement suggesting that “involving the public in the design and development of research does not generally raise any ethical concerns” [ 7 , p. 2]. We presume that this statement is using the phrase ‘ethical concerns’ to narrowly refer to the kinds of concerns addressed by a formal research ethics review process, such as safeguarding, withdrawal from research, etc. Footnote 1 . To such an extent, we agree that public involvement with research is not inherently ‘riskier’ than other research activities.

Furthermore, a blanket need for formal ethical review risks demoting or disempowering non-academic contributors from the roles of consultants, co-researchers, or advisors to a more passive status as participants. Attending a meeting as an expert, discussing new project ideas, setting priorities, designing studies and, or interpreting findings does not require that we sign a consent form. Indeed, to do so clearly removes the locus of power away from the person signing and into the hands of the person who wrote the consent form. This particular risk is exacerbated when institutional, formal ethical review processes operate in complex, convoluted and obscure ways that often baffle researchers let alone members of the public.

However, we also recognize that PEwR is not without potential to do harm – something which formal research ethics review aims to anticipate and minimise. For example, a public lecture or a workshop could cause distress to audience members or participants if they learn for the first time that aspects of their lifestyle or personal history put them at higher risk of dementia. When patients are invited to join advisory panels, they may feel pressure to reveal personal details about their medical history to reinforce their expertise or legitimise their presence – especially in a room where most other people have potentially intimidating professional qualifications. Some patient groups may be exploited, if research involvement roles are positioned as an opportunity, or even a duty, and not properly reimbursed. When patients are more deeply involved in research roles, such as collecting or analysing data, they might experience distress, particularly if interacting with participants triggers their own painful or emotional memories [ 14 , p. 98]. Thus, at all levels of PEwR from science communication to embedded co-production, there is a danger of harm to patients or members of the public, and a duty of care on the part of the research team and broader institution who invited them in.

These concerns are not accessory to PEwR activities but rather exist at their heart. Following a review on the impacts of public engagement, Brett et al. conclude that “developing a wide view which considers the impact of PPI [public and patient involvement] on the people involved in the process can be critical to our understanding of why some studies that involve patients and the public thrive, while others fail” [ 1 , p. 388]. Despite the importance of these considerations, there is a stark absence of consistent guidance as to whether different forms of PEwR require formal ethical review. Nor is there, to our knowledge, any sustained attempt to provide a framework for ethical conduct of PEwR in the absence of formal review (see Pandya-Wood et al. [ 11 ]; Greenhalgh et al. [ 5 ]). This is, in part, due to there being a wide heterogeneity of practices, communities, and levels of engagement [ 8 , p. 6] that resists generalizable principles or frameworks.

The lack of frameworks about whether or how PEwR requires formal ethical review can, ironically, be a key barrier to PEwR happening. In our work as members of a university ethics review committee, we have found this lack of guidance to hamper appropriate ethical PEwR in several ways. Researchers may avoid developing PEwR initiatives altogether for fear of having to spend time or resources in securing formal ethical review (especially when this process is lengthy or resource-intensive). Likewise, they may avoid PEwR for fear that its conduction would be unethical. On the other hand, others could assume that the lack of a requirement for formal ethical review means there are no ethical issues or risks involved in PEwR.

Similarly, experts in PEwR who are not experienced with formal research ethics review may face barriers as their PEwR process becomes more elaborate, in-depth, or complex. For example, although a priority-setting exercise with members of an online community of people with depression was assessed as not requiring ethics review, the funding panel requested that formal ethics review be undergone for a follow-up exercised aimed at collecting data answering one of the priority questions identified in the previous priority-setting. It is crucial that innovations in PEwR and findings from this work are shared and yet academic teams may be unable to publish their work in certain journals which require evidence of having undergone formal ethical review. Finally, ethics committees such as ours often must rely on anecdotal knowledge to make judgements about what does or does not require formal ethical review, given the absence of standardized frameworks.

About this paper

In this paper, we report and reflect on the development of specific tools and processes for assessing the ethical needs of PEwR initiatives, as members of an ethics review committee for a large University medical school. These tools aim to delineate boundaries between research data collection and PEwR activities of various kinds, provide a self-assessment framework for ethical practice in PEwR and, overall, give people greater confidence when conducting PEwR work. We describe and critically reflect on the development of the following resources:

a taxonomy to define key terms relating to PEwR with associated resource recommendations.

a self-assessment tool to support people understanding where their planned activities fall in relation to research or PEwR.

a code of conduct for ethical conduct of PEwR (appended to the self-assessment tool).

We will, first, describe our work as part of an institutional ethics committee, the identification of a need for specific guidance, and our key assumptions; we will then describe the process of developing these tools and processes; provide an overview of the tools themselves; and reflect on early feedback received and future work needed.

Developing specific tools for PEWR in ethics

Identifying needs, goals and outputs.

The Edinburgh Medical School Research Ethics Committee (EMREC) provides ethical opinions to members of staff and postgraduate researchers within the University of Edinburgh Medical School in relation to planned research to be conducted on humans i.e. their data, or tissues. These research activities come from a wide range of disciplines, including public health, epidemiology, social science or psychology. EMREC does not review research that involves recruitment of NHS patients, use of NHS data, or other health service resources: such projects are evaluated by an NHS research ethics committee. EMREC is led by two co-directors and formed of over 38 members, which include experienced academics and academic-clinicians from a variety of disciplines. There are also 2–4 lay members who are not researchers.

EMREC receives regular enquiries about whether a specific piece of PEwR work (such as holding a workshop with people living with endometriosis to identify research priorities or interviewing HIV activists about their work during COVID-19) requires formal ethics review. In addition, often teams contact EMREC following completion of a PEwR activity that they want to publish because the journal in which they wish to publish has requested evidence of the work having undergone formal ethics approval. These enquiries are happening in the context of an institutional investment in staffing, leading to a significant degree of distributed expertise across the Medical School about diverse forms of PEwR.

Responding to this, in the summer of 2022, a Public and Patient Involvement and Engagement working group was formed by EMREC with the aim of developing new tools and processes to navigate the ethical implications of PEWR within the University of Edinburgh Medical School. The group’s original understandings were that:

PEwR is both important and skilled work that presents a unique set of ethical implications,

PEwR is a fragmented landscape where many people have relevant but different expertise and where a wide range of terminology is in use, and.

there is no existing widely-agreed framework for ethical PEwR.

This working group was designed to be temporary, lasting approximately six months. It was composed of eleven members with different degrees of seniority and disciplinary backgrounds - both members of EMREC and those from other parts of the Medical School, and other parts of the University of Edinburgh. Among these, there were both academics and PEwR experts in professional services (i.e. primarily non-academic) roles. The working group met four times (August, September and November 2022; and January 2023).

The group identified three key goals and, in relation to these, key outputs needed. The goals were: (1) help establish boundaries between research data collection (requiring an ethical opinion from EMREC) and PEwR activities of various kinds (requiring ethical reflection/practice but not a formal EMREC ethical opinion), (2) support colleagues to identify where their planned activities fell in the research-PEwR continuum and consequently the relevant ethical framework, and (3) identify ways of building confidence and capacity among staff to conduct PEwR projects. In relation to these goals, the working group initially agreed on producing the following key outputs:

A taxonomy outlining and defining key terms used in the PEwR work, with examples. While not universal or definitive, the taxonomy should help colleagues identify and label their activities and help determine the ethical considerations that would apply to conduct the work with integrity. It would also facilitate conversations between staff with varying levels and types of experience, and ensure that decisions around ethical conduct would be based on more than choice of terminology.

A self-assessment tool to provide a more systematic way to evaluate whether a given academic activity, involving a non-academic partner (organisation or individual) requires formal evaluation by a research ethics committee.

A list of resources collected both from within and beyond our institution that are relevant to the issue of ethics and PEwR and can serve as ‘further reading’ and training.

While we aimed to develop this work with a view to it being useful within the remit of the University of Edinburgh Medical School, we also understood that there was significant potential for these outputs to be of interest and relevance more widely. In this way, we aimed to position them as a pragmatic addition to existing guidance and resources, such as the NIHR Reflective Questions [ 2 ].

Our process

Across the first three meetings, the group worked together on the simultaneous development of the three outputs (taxonomy, self-assessment tool, and resources). The initial taxonomy was informed by the guidance produced by the Public Involvement Resource Hub at Imperial College London [ 10 ]. The taxonomy was developed as a table that included key terms (such as ‘public engagement’, ‘co-production’, or ‘market research’), with their definitions, examples, and synonyms. From early on, it was decided that different key terms would not be defined by the methods used, as there could be significant overlap among these – e.g. something called a focus group might be a part of a consultation, market research or research data collection.

A draft table (with just six categories) was presented in the first meeting and group members were asked to work on the table between meetings, including providing additional examples, amending language, or any other suggestions. This was done on a shared document using ‘comments’ so that contradictory views could be identified and agreements reached. The table was also shared with colleagues from outside the University of Edinburgh Medical School to capture the range of terminologies used across disciplines, recognising the interdisciplinary nature of much research.

Through this process, additional key terms were identified, such as “science communication” and “action research,” definitions were developed more fully, and synonyms were sometimes contextualized (by indicating, for example, shades of difference or usages specific to an area). Upon further work, three additional sections were added to the taxonomy tool: first, an introduction was developed that explained what terminology our specific institution used and noted that the boundaries between different terms were often “fuzzy and flexible.” In addition, the group agreed that it would be useful to provide a narrative example of how different forms of public engagement with research might co-exist and flow from one to another. To this end, a fictional example was developed where a team of clinical researchers interested in diabetes are described engaging in scoping work, research, co-production, science communication and action research at different times of their research programme. Finally, a section was also added that prompted researchers to reflect on the processes of negotiating how partners can be described in research (for example, whether to use terms such as ‘patient’ or ‘lay member’).

For the self-assessment tool, a first iteration was a table with two columns (one for research or work requiring formal ethical review and one for PEwR or work not requiring formal ethical review). The aim was for group members to fill the table with examples of activities that would fall under each category, with a view to identifying generalizable characteristics. However, this task proved complicated given the wide diversity of possible activities, multitude of contexts, and sheer number of exceptions. To address this, group members were asked to complete a case-based exercise. They were presented with the following situation: “I tell you I’m planning a focus group with some autistic folk” and asked how they would determine whether the activity would be a form of data collection for a research project (requiring formal ethical review) or another form of PEwR. Group members were asked, with a view to developing the self-assessment tool, to identify which questions they would ask to assess the activity. The replies of working group members were synthesized by one of the authors (SFW) and presented at the following meeting.

Through discussion as a group, we determined that the questions identified as useful in identifying if an activity required formal ethical review fell, roughly, under four main areas. Under each area, some indicators of activities were provided which were “less likely to need ethics review” and some “more likely to need ethics review”. The four umbrella questions were:

What is the purpose and the planned outcome of the activity? (see Table  1 for an excerpt of the initial draft answer to this question)

What is the status of the people involved in the activity? (indicators of less likely to need ethics review were “participants will be equal partners with academic team” or “participants will be advisors” and indicators more likely to require ethics approval were “participants will undertake tasks determined by academics” or “participants will contribute data or sign consent forms”).

What kind of information is being collected? (indicators of less likely to need ethics review were “asking about expert opinion on a topic” or “sessions will be minuted and notes taken” and indicators more likely to require ethics approval were “sessions will be recorded and transcribed” or “asking about participants’ personal experiences”).

What are the risks inherent in this activity? (indicators of less likely to need ethics review were “participants will be involved in decision-making” or “participants will be credited for their role in a manner of their choosing” and indicators more likely to require ethics approval were “participants’ involvement will and must be anonymized fully” or “participants have a choice between following protocol or withdrawing from the study”).

Upon further work, the group decided to modify this initial iteration in several ways leading to the final version. First, a brief introduction explaining the purpose of the tool was written. This included information about the aims of the tool, and a very brief overview of the process of formal research ethics review. It also emphasised the importance of discussion of the tool within the team, with PEwR experts and sometimes with EMREC members, depending on how clear-cut the outcome was. Second, we included brief information about what are ‘research’ and ‘public engagement with research’ with a view to supporting people who may not be familiar with how these concepts are used by ethics review committees (for example, lay co-applicants or co-researchers). Third, we included key guidance about how to use the tool, including ‘next steps’ if the activity was determined to be research or engagement. Importantly, this emphasised that none of the questions posed and indicators given were definitive of something needing or not needing formal research ethics review, but instead they should be used collectively to signpost a team towards, or away from, formal review.

Finally, while the four umbrella questions remained the same as in the previous iteration, the indicators under each were further refined. In discussing the previous version, the group agreed that, while some indicators could relate to an activity falling into either category (research or engagement) depending on other factors, there were others that were much more likely to fall under one category than the other. In other words, while no single indicator was deterministic of needing or not needing formal review, some indicators were more influential than others on the final self-assessment outcome. Thus, we divided the indicators associated with each umbrella question into two sub-groups. The more influential indicators were labelled as either “probably doesn’t need ethical review” or “almost certainly needs ethical review”. Less influential indicators were labelled as either “less likely to need ethical review” or “more likely to need ethical review.” This is shown in Table  2 .

This new format retains the awareness of the sometimes-blurry lines between research and PEwR for many activities, but also seeks to provide stronger direction through indicative activities that are more clear-cut, with a particular view to supporting early-career researchers and people new to ethics reviews and/or engagement processes.

A key concern of the group was what would happen next if a planned activity, using the self-assessment tool, was deemed as PEwR. The formal review process for research would not be available for a planned activity identified as PEwR i.e. completing a series of documents and a number of protocols to deal with issues such as data protection, safeguarding, etc. This would leave a vacuum in terms of guidance for ethical conduction of PEwR. The group was concerned that some people using the self-assessment tool might arrive at the conclusion that their planned activity was entirely without ethical risks, given that it was not required to undergo formal review. Others might be conscious of the risks but feel adrift as to how to proceed. This was a particular concern with early-career researchers and indeed established academics turning to PEwR for the first time: we wanted to facilitate their involvement with PEwR but we were also aware that many may lack experience and resources. To address this, the group decided to develop an additional output comprising a series of reflective prompts to guide researchers in planning and conducting engagement activities.

The prompts were organized under four headings. First, “Data Minimisation and Security” included information about required compliance with data protection legislation, suggestions about collecting and processing information, and ideas around ensuring confidentiality. Second, “Safeguarding Collaborators and Emotional Labour” prompted researchers to think about the risk of partners becoming distressed and suggested what things should be planned for in this regard. Third, “Professional Conduct and Intellectual Property” included advice on how to clearly manage partners’ expectations around their contributions, impact, and intellectual property. Finally, fourth, under “Power Imbalances”, the guidance discusses how researchers may work to address the inherent imbalances that exist in relationships with partners. It prompts the researcher to think about choice of location, information sharing, and authorship among others. While the Edinburgh Medical School Research Ethics Committee remains available for consultation on all these matters, as well as dedicated and professional PEwR staff, the group developed these guidelines with a view both to emphasizing the fact that an activity not requiring formal ethical review did not mean that the activity was absent of risk or did not require careful ethical planning; and to support those who may be unfamiliar with how to develop engagement activities. It was decided that this guideline should follow the self-assessment tool for clarity.

Finally, in the process of developing these outputs (the planned taxonomy and assessment tool, and the additional reflective prompts appended to the assessment tool), the group collected a large number of resources, including academic papers (e.g. Staniszewska et al. [ 16 ]; Schroeder et al. [ 13 ]; Redman et al. [ 12 ]; Fletcher-Watson et al. [ 4 ]), guidance produced by other institutions, and key online sites with information about national frameworks or policy. Among these, key resources were selected and appended to the taxonomy document. The final version of these documents can be found as appendices (Supplementary Material  1 : Assessment tool and reflective prompts; Supplementary Material  2 : Taxonomy and resources).

Further considerations and early results

The guidance and tools presented here are designed to clarify a boundary between research and engagement that is poorly defined and could cause harm if not well understood. In sharing them, we aim to facilitate researchers’ engagement with PEwR by providing familiarity with the terminology and approaches, examples, and suggesting key considerations. Most importantly, they support researchers to determine whether their planned activity should undergo a formal ethical review process or not – and if not, guides them towards ethical conduct in the absence of formal review. Reflecting on the process much of what we have explained essentially reflects a distinction between PEwR and research data collection that can be encapsulated within the idea of ‘locus of control’: namely that during PEwR the locus of control, as far as possible, sits with the engaged communities or members.

It should be noted, however, that researchers and these guidance and tools exist within a larger landscape, with added regulatory processes. Thus, researchers may need (regardless of whether their planned activity is research or engagement) to navigate additional compliance such as data protection or information security protocols and / or to consider reputational risk associated with certain topics. We are aware that the overlap of complex and sometimes obscure regulatory demands complicates the task of conducting both research and PEwR, as it requires researchers to juggle multiple procedures, documents, and approvals. This publication does not resolve all the questions that exist, but it does attempt to take a bold step towards confronting grey areas and providing systematic processes to navigate them.

The outputs described above were made available on the University of Edinburgh Medical School Research Ethics Committee intranet site under the heading “Public Engagement with Research.” While we do not collect statistics on the number of times the resources have been used, the committee has received positive feedback from people who have engaged with the documents. For example, one researcher commented that, in the process of developing an engagement activity, they had been “grappling with precisely these questions (of whether this qualifies as research, and whether it requires ethical review)” and that the documents were “quite timely and helpful. It allows me to think about these considerations in a systematic manner and it’s handy for me to send on to others as a framework for discussion should we have differing opinions.” It was this mention to the possibility of these documents being used as a framework for discussion that prompted us to write this paper as a way of sharing them beyond the University of Edinburgh College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (where they are already used for training early-career researchers and in the MSc in Science Communication and Public Engagement). While we think they can be useful, we also encourage potential users to adapt them to their specific contexts, with different institutions potentially establishing differing procedures or requirements. To that end, we have shared in this paper the process of writing these documents so that other people and teams may also think through them productively and creatively.

Final reflections

In developing these documents, we sought to answer a need among members of our immediate community, seeking to better assess whether an activity required formal ethical review and wanting guidance to ethically conduct PEwR work. However, we also came to realize the limitations of existing approval and governance processes. In our case, a key reason why these documents were developed is because existing formal ethical review processes would not be adequate to capture the particularities and complexities of PEwR in our large, diverse Medical School.

Looking back at the tools we developed and the feedback received, we are also satisfied with the pragmatic approach we took. There is a vast amount of resources and literature available about how to conduct PEwR, as well as a multitude of accounts and reflections both of an anecdotal and epistemological nature. Building on this conceptual work and associated principles, we sought to develop pragmatic, clear, applicable tools, without overwhelming users with a multitude of available resources and complex theory. This is, we feel, particularly applicable to contexts like ours: a large, very diverse medical school which encompasses biomedical to social science disciplines where researchers and funders have vastly differing expectations and knowledge of PEwR.

This process also led us to reflect on the practical functions of formal ethical review. Formal ethics approval provides applicants with structured resources to think and plan about their work, feedback and guidance about their plans, and—most commonly—a code and letter than can be used to easily report to journals that your research has met a specific ethical threshold. With these documents we have sought to provide some similar, pragmatic guidance to support and empower people, through a self-assessment process. This begs the question, what, if any, formal approval processes should be developed for PEwR? Are such formal processes in any way adequate to the ethos of PEwR? Would formal independent review necessarily conflict with the values of PEwR, namely the empowerment of community members as decision-makers and experts? Thus, these documents and this paper contribute to an ongoing conversation as PEwR continues to develop in frequency and sophistication in health and social care research.

Data availability

No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

The difference between research and public engagement is a complex one. Formal ethics approval, which is often seen as a regulatory or compliance mechanism, may not always be a good marker of this boundary, as it may ignore complex issues such as the distribution of power, the ethos of the activities, or their aims. Furthermore, different institutions use different criteria to determine what activities require ethics approval or are considered research. In this paper we reflect on the process of developing tools which we intended as pragmatic interventions that would support researchers, especially those without previous experience of PEwR to label their planned activities and understand their implications. Thus, we employ—even if not at all times comfortably—the framework that equates research with activities requiring ethics approval and PEwR with activities not requiring ethics approval.

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Garcia-Iglesias, J., Beange, I., Davidson, D. et al. Ethical considerations in public engagement: developing tools for assessing the boundaries of research and involvement. Res Involv Engagem 10 , 83 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40900-024-00617-8

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In the vast landscape of ethical inquiry, the exploration of normative ethics remains a cornerstone for students and scholars alike. This comprehensive list of Normative Ethics research paper topics aims to serve as a valuable resource, offering a diverse array of subjects for in-depth study and analysis. From ethical theories to contemporary issues, this compilation encapsulates the multifaceted nature of normative ethics. As you navigate the complexities of moral philosophy and ethical reasoning, let these topics inspire your research and scholarly pursuits, further enriching the discourse on ethical principles and moral values.

The Range of Normative Ethics Research Paper Topics

Normative ethics, a fundamental branch of philosophical inquiry, delves into the study of how we ought to act morally. It offers a conceptual framework to discern right from wrong, guiding individuals in their moral decision-making processes. This article provides an in-depth exploration of normative ethics as a field of study and offers a comprehensive range of Normative Ethics research paper topics. These topics encompass the myriad ethical dilemmas and inquiries that scholars and students alike may explore to better understand the complexities of morality and moral reasoning.

Exploring Normative Ethics

Normative ethics occupies a central role within the broader context of ethical studies. It serves as the guiding compass for individuals and societies when navigating complex moral terrain. At its core, normative ethics seeks to answer questions about what constitutes morally right or wrong actions and what principles should govern our conduct.

Normative ethical theories, such as utilitarianism, deontology, virtue ethics, and consequentialism, provide diverse perspectives on ethical decision-making. Each theory presents its unique set of principles, offering valuable insights into the moral landscape. Normative ethics plays a crucial role in shaping our ethical beliefs, providing a foundation upon which we build our moral judgments.

In essence, normative ethics explores the normative questions of ethics. It delves into the nature of moral values, the criteria for determining right and wrong actions, and the principles that guide human conduct. As students and scholars engage with normative ethics, they gain a deeper understanding of the philosophical underpinnings that inform ethical debates and ethical judgments.

The Significance of Normative Ethics

Normative ethics is of paramount importance in the realm of ethical studies. It serves as the ethical compass that helps individuals and societies make informed moral choices. Without a solid foundation in normative ethics, ethical debates would lack structure and coherence. This field of study offers a framework for evaluating the morality of actions, determining moral obligations, and resolving ethical dilemmas.

Moreover, normative ethics contributes to the development of ethical virtues and moral character. By examining ethical theories such as virtue ethics, scholars and students can explore the qualities and values that constitute virtuous individuals. In essence, normative ethics is instrumental in shaping ethical norms, moral principles, and ethical standards that govern human behavior.

Exploring Research Paper Topics

Within the realm of normative ethics, a rich tapestry of research paper topics awaits exploration. These topics span across various ethical theories, practical applications, and contemporary ethical dilemmas. Here, we present an extended selection of research paper topics that showcase the breadth and depth of normative ethics:

• Ethical Relativism and Cultural Perspectives : An analysis of ethical relativism, exploring how cultural contexts influence moral perspectives and ethical relativism’s implications.
• Environmental Ethics and Moral Obligations : Investigating the moral responsibilities of individuals and societies toward the environment and future generations.
• Moral Realism and Objective Morality : A critical examination of moral realism, which posits the existence of objective moral facts.
• Bioethical Dilemmas in Medical Ethics : Exploring contemporary bioethical challenges, such as end-of-life decisions, organ transplantation, and medical resource allocation.
• Utilitarianism and Its Application in Policy-making : Analyzing the utilization of utilitarian principles in crafting public policies and ethical decision-making in government.
• Deontological Ethics and Moral Duty in Professional Fields : Examining the role of deontological ethics in professional ethics, with a focus on fields such as law, medicine, and business.
• Virtue Ethics and Character Development in Education : Investigating the implementation of virtue ethics in educational settings to foster character development among students.
• Feminist Perspectives on Normative Ethics : An exploration of feminist ethics’ contributions to normative ethics and its unique insights into gender-related moral issues.
• Rights-Based Approaches in Human Rights : Analyzing the application of rights-based ethical theories in human rights discourse, advocacy, and policy.
• Comparative Analysis of Ethical Theories : A comparative study of various normative ethical theories, evaluating their strengths and limitations in addressing complex moral dilemmas.
• Neuroethics and Emerging Ethical Challenges : Delving into the ethical considerations surrounding advancements in neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology.
• Normative Ethics in Literature and Film : Exploring how normative ethical themes are portrayed and explored in literary works and cinematic productions.
• Business Ethics and Corporate Responsibility : Examining the role of normative ethics in guiding ethical practices within the business world and corporate social responsibility.
• Moral Education and Normative Ethics Pedagogy : Investigating strategies for teaching normative ethics and moral reasoning in educational settings.
• Global Ethics and Cross-Cultural Morality : Analyzing the intersection of normative ethics with global perspectives on morality, addressing cultural diversity and moral pluralism.

These extended topics encompass a wide array of normative ethical theories and applications, providing students and scholars with a diverse landscape for ethical exploration and research. Whether delving into classical ethical theories or addressing contemporary moral challenges, the study of normative ethics offers a rich tapestry of topics to investigate, discuss, and debate.

Normative ethics serves as the cornerstone of ethical inquiry, offering invaluable insights into the nature of morality and ethical decision-making. The comprehensive range of Normative Ethics research paper topics presented here reflects the multifaceted nature of this field of study. As students and scholars embark on their ethical explorations, they are encouraged to delve into these topics, engage in critical discourse, and contribute to the ongoing dialogue surrounding morality and moral reasoning. In doing so, they not only enrich their understanding of normative ethics but also play a vital role in shaping ethical perspectives and advancing ethical scholarship.

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Title Page Setup

A title page is required for all APA Style papers. There are both student and professional versions of the title page. Students should use the student version of the title page unless their instructor or institution has requested they use the professional version. APA provides a student title page guide (PDF, 199KB) to assist students in creating their title pages.

Student title page

The student title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation, course number and name for which the paper is being submitted, instructor name, assignment due date, and page number, as shown in this example.

Title page setup is covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 2.3 and the Concise Guide Section 1.6

Related handouts

• Student Title Page Guide (PDF, 263KB)
• Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Student papers do not include a running head unless requested by the instructor or institution.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page.

Professional title page

The professional title page includes the paper title, author names (the byline), author affiliation(s), author note, running head, and page number, as shown in the following example.

Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the professional title page.

Looks and Gaming: Who and Why?

We investigate the relationship between physical attractiveness and the time people devote to video/computer gaming. Average American teenagers spend 2.6% of their waking hours gaming, while for adults this figure is 2.7%. Using the American Add Health Study, we show that adults who are better-looking have more close friends. Arguably, gaming is costlier for them, and they thus engage in less of it. Physically attractive teens are less likely to engage in gaming at all, whereas unattractive teens who do game spend more time each week on it than other gamers. Attractive adults are also less likely than others to spend any time gaming; and if they do, they spend less time on it than less attractive adults. Using the longitudinal nature of the Add Health Study, we find supportive evidence that these relationships are causal for adults: good looks decrease gaming time, not vice-versa.

We are grateful for helpful comments from Sarah Jewell, Simonetta Longhi, Samantha Rawlings, Rachel Scarfe, Dominik Schreyer, and Paul Telemo. The views expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Bureau of Economic Research.

MARC RIS BibTeΧ

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