Should He Be Included? I Know His Sister

The ACA Code of Ethics includes a subsection devoted to research considerations Similar to when counselors experience ethical dilemmas in clinical practice, researchers presented with a challenge can follow a decision-making protocol. Angelica, a third-year doctoral student in a counselor education program, had to contemplate the key issues in her dilemma, consult ethics-related resources, and determine her outcome. Like counselors, counseling researchers need to consider how preexisting relationships can affect research participants and the potential outcomes of a study. When making decisions regarding multiple relationships with participants, it behooves counseling researchers to put the welfare of the participants at the forefront, prioritizing minimizing harm, in alignment with ethical research with human subjects. When recruiting participants from a community they are involved or connected with, researchers have an increased likelihood of experiencing dual relationships with the participants or their families.