Author(s): Abibu A Obadan and CU Emaviwe

Abstract: Ethical concerns surrounding the conduct of legal research have generated considerable research interest among researchers around the globe. As a result, there is a growing emphasis on the need to ensure that researchers conduct their research responsibly having regard to certain established ethical norms and standards. This paper examined the ethical issues involved in the process of legal research. It observed that ethical norms are often overlooked in legal research involving human participants, leading to potential harm to participants and damage to the integrity of research findings. It posited that ethical principles of informed consent, voluntary participation, privacy, and confidentiality are germane to research integrity and that legal researchers are expected to abide by them in conducting research for a more credible outcome. The paper adopted a library-based research approach, wherein relevant pieces of literature and statutory and judicial authorities were assembled and reviewed. The paper recommends that academic and research institutions establish sound policies and regulations to address unethical research practices. It also recommends that legal researchers should be regularly trained on the principles and significance of research ethics and their impact on human participants in the research process.

Pages: 44-50 | Views: 305 | Downloads: 212

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