up to this point your research project has been entirely private and personal you have been working on your own In the library and on the internet gathering information and formulating an idea for a research study now however you have reached the stage where other individuals become involved with your research first the participants or subjects whose behaviors and responses you observe and measure during the course of the study and then the people who will see (and perhaps be influenced by) your report of the study result all these individuals have a right to expect honesty and respect from you and as you proceed through the following stage of the research process you must accept the responsibility to behave ethically toward those who will be affected by your research in general ethics is study of proper action(ray 2000)this chapter is devoted to the subject of research ethics in particular