Ethics In Qualitative Research

To ensure that a researcher’s enthusiasm for knowledge and understanding doesn’t let them get carried away, clear guidelines for ethical behaviour in research, a Code of Ethics, have been established by governments, institutions and various professional societies such as the American Psychological Association(APA), the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Psychological Society of Ireland (PSI).

Human Intelligence (HUMINT) is as old as humanity, and to this day is one of, if not the best method of collecting information, because of the potential quantity and diversity of information that can be collected through this discipline. It is a method to gather information through interpersonal relations. In this assignment I will explain the difference between overt and clandestine HUMINT operations, present which Intelligence Community members use HUMINT and describe their principal methods. Lastly, I will offer my opinion as to whether I believe overt or clandestine HUMINT is more effective.

The progression of military intelligence through the years is traced back to the Revolutionary War in 1775, courtesy of George Washington. “Through various re-incarnations, intelligence has played a key role in how the United States shaped their policies towards the armed forces and other countries” (The Evolution of the U.S. Intelligence Community-An Historical Overview). Intelligence collection often waned during peacetime, but made drastic increases during wartime.

Within this assignment there will be a clear demonstration and understanding of the concept of research in relation to the acquisition of underpinning knowledge appropriate to my programme of study. I will also be undertaking a comparative analysis of the nature and validity of quantitative and qualitative research methods. I will also be demonstrating skills in critical analysis of methods of data collection and selection of appropriate methods to informing future working practice. I will also be analyse the ethical considerations in relation to the development and undertaking of research.

The 1776 united States of America Declaration of Independence contain the words that succinctly describe our national objective, strategy, and message, “We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.” In today’s United States of America, the world acknowledges American’s as the preeminent owner of individual freedoms, holding and promoting these three basic principles for some 240 years. During these years, the U.S. has employed the use of intelligence to shape its objectives and strategies, and then in times of war used the same intelligence to shape strategic messages against foreign powers. However, as hostilities decline and give way to the restoration of relative peace, the use of intelligence for strategic messages against foreign powers ceases. Under these circumstances, the void created by secession of U.S. messages, provides a communication opportunity to foreign powers for transmission of anti-U.S. messages. Attempts have been made to reinstate the offices that during war countered these anti-U.S. messages to a comprehensive reorganization of the U.S Government intelligence community. This paper does not support creation of a new agency or department to utilize existing strategic intelligence.

It is essential that robust methods are used in qualitative research as maintaining confidentiality is critical. Confidentiality issues must be addressed by the researcher in relation to individual participants as well as to the sites in which the research is conducted. With regard to individual participants, researchers may need to address confidentiality by using not only pseudonyms --non-identifying names in all written records, but also to be selective when describing defining characteristics of participants which could reveal their identity (Polit & Beck

After World War II American intelligence had the need to be transformed. The inexperience along with bureaucracy and poor coordination among American intelligence officers obligated the United States intelligence community to change dramatically in order to confront the new challenges that emerged after the end of WWII. From Early America through WWI the intelligence system of the United States of America was involved in operations in which they had to construct intelligence systems virtually from scratch (Andrew 1995). Human intelligence was already developed, but with certain limitations and other intelligence disciplines were underdeveloped and very seldom sophisticated. After WWI America recessed and settled in a period of peace. The

Perhaps the most important change in how the federal government was reorganized after September 11th is the creation of both the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) position and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) in 2004 with the passage of the same IRTPA that created TSA. This concept had been first suggested in 1955 after a study by Congress then and was recommended time and again but only became a reality after the September 11th attacks drove the need for major intelligence reform home and the 9/11 Commission continued the push for the creation of such a position (ODNI, n.d., paras. 1-5). As one can see from the mission and vision of the ODNI, the importance cannot be overstated. The mission includes leading intelligence integration while having the IC produce the most insightful intelligence products possible and the vision is fully integrating the IC thus making the nation more secure (ODNI, n.d., paras. 1-2).

The United States (U.S) Intelligence community has come a long way since the revolutionary war. After winning independence from England, the U.S would not invest much into intelligence or foreign policy until the 20th century. Foreign policy was simply not a priority for our young nation, having an ocean on eastern and Western boarders of the country severely limited potential threats. President Franklin D. Roosevelt would be the first president since Washington to understand the importance of intelligence and lay the groundwork for what we now consider national intelligence. Unfortunately, it has taken two catastrophic failures in intelligence for the U.S to realize the need for good intelligence and take steps to improve itself. The

I have learned that “what” the research finds isn’t the only thing that is important. We need to also be considered with “how” they went about finding it. The treatment of the research participants is always a consideration when doing research. Beneficence is the process of finding the most accurate results possible while ensuring fair treatment of the participants (Cozby & Bates, 2012). Some steps taken to ensure proper treatment of participants begin with informed consent. This ensures that those involved understand the all parts of the research that may affect their decision to participate (Cozby & Bates, 2012). This does not necessarily mean that there is full disclosure as that may interfere with accurate results. Debriefing is helpful after the completion of the research to counteract any ill effects suffered because of the research (Cozby & Bates, 2012). A safeguard in place to further protect participants is the Institutional Review Board. This board is in place and responsible for the research conditions taking place at their institution (Cozby & Bates, 2012). Another way to protect participants is confidentiality. This can be achieved through anonymous questionnaires, or coding of answers to protect privacy (Cozby & Bates, 2012). Protection doesn’t only apply

The Belmont Report was put in place to protect individuals who are involved in biomedical and behavioral research. The Belmont Report assist individuals to understand ethical codes and strategies essential for conducting research where human are involved. Three main ethical principles for research according to The Belmont Report include respect for persons, benificence, and justice. The Belmont Report keeps individuals in line when an issue arises. Sometimes people are faced with adversity and need to come to a decision that would not hurt or harm all parties involved. The individuals conducting the research are welcome to use these ethical codes and strategies to develop a conclusion that best suit all parties involve. In this paper

The United States has the most capable intelligence apparatus of any country in the world. The information produced by various agencies gives the United States a substantial advantage when it comes to understanding world events, predicting and preparing for unsettled times, fielding military forces, and making a host of other political and economic decisions. From an ethical perspective, it means that the United States Intelligences information can create the risk of security for the United

As a research practitioner I feel one of the most important issues related to the ethical responsibility of researchers is the protection of human subjects. Before being faced with some of the practical realities of research through coursework and these doctoral classes I found that my ideas and impression of the types of studies I wanted to conduct did not give adequate consideration to the subjects I wanted to explore. If a key component of research is to leave subjects better than the were originally researchers must approach have their best interest in mind from the construction of the hypothesis to the writing of the thesis.

Abstract: In this analysis, it is shown throughout the many different agencies how the intelligence cycle is interpreted. Within each of the different agencies everyone has their own way of obtaining information and different policies that they follow, within the constriction of the US constitution. The intelligence cycle states the many different steps taken to obtain intelligence from domestic to foreign information.

Data can be collected through human sources, satellites, wiretapping, signals, and internet traffic. However, intelligence organizations must be in compliance with the law to ensure that they are not illegally collecting information (Chesney, 2012). Collection occurs because a threat is likely to occur or agencies are trying to find out what information our foreign adversaries possess about the nation’s assets. Intelligence collection occurs in both domestic and foreign territories. Intelligence agencies collect information about foreign adversaries in order to exploit their weaknesses or vulnerabilities (Gentry, 2008). Furthermore, government agencies and political leaders want to discover which of the nation’s assets are seen as vulnerable to the enemy (Gentry, 2008).