Ethics in Communication Disorders Research

Ethics broadly refers to a system of guiding beliefs upheld by an individual or group. Practitioners and researchers in the communication disorders (CD) field are expected to uphold rigorous ethical standards. In the interest of ensuring ethical practice standards, professional organizations and government agencies develop, issue, and regulate codes of conduct that cover the specifics of prescribed best practices and proscribed behaviors. Institutions, including hospitals, school systems, and universities, may have their own formalized codes and established oversight committees charged with promotion of ethical practice through dissemination of information and review of research and practice. Precisely because ethical conduct demands clear lines of communication between and among various parties, whenever there is a risk [Page 707]of communication breakdown, as is the case when people have ...