Ethical issues in human research – UGC NET Question

In this question statements A, B, D and F correctly describe ethical requirements, while C and E are wrong. Statement A is true because informed participants must know potential risks and benefits. Statement B is correct as voluntary participation includes the right to withdraw, and statement D accurately notes the role of debriefing after partial disclosure. Statement F is true because ethical committees review proposals, whereas C is false since deception is not automatically acceptable and must be carefully justified, and E is false because coercing participation for grades is unethical.

Option A:
Option A focuses only on C as wrong and ignores E. Although C is clearly unethical, E is equally problematic in endorsing coercion of students. By omitting E from the set of wrong statements, this option provides an incomplete answer.

Option B:
Option B correctly identifies both C and E as wrong statements and leaves A, B, D and F as true. It recognises that deception must be tightly controlled and that coercion is unacceptable, especially in teacher–student relationships. Consequently, this combination presents the accurate set of wrong statements and is the correct answer.

Option C:
Option C marks only E as wrong while overlooking C. Even though E is indeed unethical, C also violates basic ethical principles by normalising deception. Failing to include C makes this option incomplete.

Option D:
Option D incorrectly adds D to the wrong set alongside C and E. Statement D is actually correct because debriefing is often required when information has been withheld. Misclassifying D as wrong invalidates this option.