Ethical proceduralism and educational research: Rejoinder to Nicholas Burbules.

Ethical proceduralism and educational research: Rejoinder to Nicholas Burbules. In a discipline where constructive dialogue is praised but notalways practised, the thoughtful comments of Nicholas Burbules on mypaper are most welcome. In this brief rejoinder The answer made by a defendant in the second stage of Common-Law Pleading that rebuts or denies the assertions made in the plaintiff's replication.The rejoinder allows a defendant to present a more responsive and specific statement challenging the allegations made , I wish to support hisattempt to move the discussion forward by focusing on some questionswhich neither of us has yet resolved. Our common ground seems to be that a flexible, problem-solvingapproach to the ethics of educational research is preferable to anappeal to ethical principles from which judgements are derived throughsome mode of deduction. What remains under debate is the relationbetween this theoretical issue and the practices of the researchcommunity. I defended an approach which Professor Burbules aptly labels`proceduralism', emphasising learnable skills and tested techniquesof making good ethical decisions. Professor Burbules argues thatprocedures themselves have an ethical content; and he is surely rightabout this: otherwise their leading to ethical outcomes would be ratherlike drawing a rabbit out of a hat. However, he draws attention to thedanger of thinking of procedures as principles in disguise. As he putsit, they `are no more generalisable or inviolable than other norms; theyneed to be interpreted and applied to circumstances too'. As forcodes, these `serve multiple purposes, of which their potentialusefulness for ethical deliberation is only one'. If codes of ethics are useful, we are fortunate to have so many ofthem. The typical educational researcher in Australia, for example,would come under the codes of the National Health and Medical ResearchCouncil The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is Australia's peak funding body for medical research, with a budget of nearly A$500M a year . The Council was established to develop and maintain health standards and is responsible for implementing the , the Australian Association for Research in Education, his orher own university, and one or more disciplinary bodies such as theAustralian Psychological Society The Australian Psychological Society (APS) is a professional association set up to represent psychologists in Australia. The APS has more than 15,000 members, making it the largest professional body representing psychologists in Australia. or the Australian Early ChildhoodAssociation. These differ widely in their scope and emphasis. Like mostpractices, they are products of social and historical circumstances, notapplications of some theoretical principle. Different purposes mightrequire different sorts of codes: for one it might be a statement ofideals, for another a very prescriptive approach, for a third anargumentative Controversial; subject to argument.Pleading in which a point relied upon is not set out, but merely implied, is often labeled argumentative. Pleading that contains arguments that should be saved for trial, in addition to allegations establishing a Cause of Action or discussion. The mixed character of codes of ethics seemsto confirm that view. But this suggests that it is unwise for a code ofethics Code of Ethics can refer to: Ethical code, a code of professional responsibility, noting what behaviors are "ethical". Code of Ethics (band), a 90's Christian New Wave/Pop band to attempt to provide its own interpretation: for example, byclaiming to represent universal ethical principles. A minimal approachis preferable. Where do we go from here? I think we need to return to theindividual researcher, and consider his or her relation to codes ofethics on the one hand, and institutional ethics committees ethics committeeA multidisciplinary hospital body composed of a broad spectrum of personnel–eg, physicians, nurses, social workers, priests, and others, which addresses the moral and ethical issues within the hospital. See DNR, Institutional review board. on theother. I agree that making decisions about the behaviour of othersshould not be taken as the typical ethical situation. A top-down versionof proceduralism would take ethical responsibility away from theresearcher, and so be as bad (in a different way) as a top-downprincipled prin��ci��pled?adj.Based on, marked by, or manifesting principle: a principled decision; a highly principled person. ethics. I have suggested that the most important ethicalissues in research can, in fact, be resolved in the process throughwhich the individual researcher deals with an ethics committee. Thechecklist of procedures, which is all that most research projectsrequire, carries the force of a code of ethics, without presuming pre��sum��ing?adj.Having or showing excessive and arrogant self-confidence; presumptuous.pre��suming��ly adv. thestatus of its ethical themes: its points are more than suggestions, butless than a set of dogmatic dog��mat��ic?adj.1. Relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from dogma.2. Characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles. See Synonyms at dictatorial. principles. In this way, the relevance of acode of ethics may be to the interaction between ethics committees andindividual researchers, not to the proceedings of ethics committees,taken alone. Whether a more elaborate code, including philosophicalargument, is needed in the background is something about which I remainsceptical. Robin Small Monash University Facilities in are diverse and vary in services offered. Information on residential sevices at Monash University, including on-campus (MRS managed) and off-campus, can be found at [2] Student organisations