So far you have studied ethical issues in the display of data, but the discipline of statistics is governed by ethical guidelines that cover other areas including data analysis, interpretation, and reporting. Under the Learn section read the following sources concerning ethics in working with data and statistics: 1. Read: Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice The ASA’s Ethical Guidelines for Statistical Practice. Required sections: “Purpose” and Sections A, C, E, F, and G. These sections are lettered in the “PDF download” indicated at the top of the page. Reference: American Statistical Association. (2022). Ethical guidelines for statistical practice. https://www.amstat.org/ASA/Your-Career/Ethical-Guidelines-for-Statistical-Practice.aspx 2. Read: Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. The APA’s Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Required sections: Standard 5.01 and Standards 8.10 through 8.15 only. Reference: American Psychological Association. (2010). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017). https://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index SCENARIO Imagine you are working on a research paper with a partner. The two of you have been studying the effect of two types of therapy on combat-related PTSD symptoms, and your research hypothesis is that one treatment will be superior to the other. You have collected the data and are finished analyzing the numbers, and the results show that the treatments are not significantly different from one another in their effects. Though you are both disappointed, you accept the results and are ready to start writing them up, when your research partner suggests going back and making some “small changes” to the data in order to try to make the preferred treatment look more successful. You have reviewed the ethical standards listed above and understand the expectation of integrity involved in research. After hearing your partner’s proposal, you decide to write him/her a letter in response. PLEASE READ Write a professional letter to your partner responding to his/her suggestion to manipulate data.
