UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Debriefing is conducted after participants have completed a study, particularly when deception or incomplete disclosure was involved. During debriefing, the researcher reveals the true purpose, clarifies any misleading information and checks for adverse reactions. This process helps restore trust, educates participants about the research and permits them to withdraw their data if they feel distressed. Therefore, the post-study explanation described in the stem is correctly called debriefing.

Option A:
Option A, debriefing, is an important ethical safeguard that demonstrates respect for participants and mitigates potential harm caused by deception. It is distinct from initial information-giving, which is covered by informed consent, and clearly fits the stem’s context.

Option B:
Briefing refers to providing initial instructions or information before the study begins and does not involve correcting deceptive elements afterwards. Thus, briefing is not the right answer for a post-participation explanation.

Option C:
Anonymising is the process of removing or encoding identifying information in data so that individuals cannot be recognised. It is related to privacy protection but not to explaining the true purpose after deception.

Option D:
Sampling is a methodological step concerning the selection of participants and has nothing to do with post-study ethical communication, so it is not appropriate here.

Beneficence obliges researchers to design and conduct studies in ways that enhance potential benefits and reduce risks for participants. It requires careful assessment of physical, psychological, social and economic harms that could result from participation. When risks cannot be justified by expected benefits or knowledge gains, the study should not proceed. Therefore, the principle described in the stem is beneficence.

Option A:
Justice concerns fair distribution of research burdens and benefits across groups, such as avoiding exploitation of vulnerable populations. While important, it focuses on fairness rather than on maximising benefit and minimising harm for individual participants.

Option B:
Beneficence guides decisions about safeguards, such as counselling support or debriefing, and may require modifying or discontinuing procedures that prove more harmful than anticipated. This emphasis on balancing risks and benefits matches the stem exactly, making this option correct.

Option C:
Fidelity refers to maintaining trust and keeping promises to participants, such as respecting agreements about data use, but it does not directly express the risk–benefit focus.

Option D:
Anonymity means that even researchers cannot link data to individuals, which protects privacy but is only one aspect of minimising harm; it is not the overarching principle named here.