In 1980, Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) published its "Guidelines for Ethical Research in ESL" in the "TESOL Quarterly." The examination and expansion of ethical research standards remains ongoing. The Health Research Extension Act of 1985 required the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the funding institution to approve any U.S.-funded research involving human subjects. In 1993, it was suggested that ESL researchers adopt ethics models issued by the American Psychological Association (APA) and the American Anthropological Association (AAA).
Ethical standards for ESL research include guidelines and different areas of concern. These areas include the subject, the subject's learning and any other people involved (researcher, teachers, administrators and sponsors). Standard guidelines address privacy, informed consent, deception, confidentiality, researcher qualifications, the importance of the research versus risks to the subject, and subject anonymity.
Ethical standards protect the rights, well-being and privacy of the subjects throughout the research process. They also aid the researcher in conducting a higher quality study. Review and approval by an institution's IRB ensures that the U.S. federal regulations governing the protection of human subjects are followed, protecting all involved. TESOL provides release forms on its website for those working with human subjects who wish to publish their findings in the "TESOL Quarterly."
In TESOL's original guidelines, the main areas of concern were the subjects and how research might affect learning. Thirteen years later, in 1993, Margaret DuFon proposed in the "TESOL Quarterly" that teacher and administrator rights also be protected. ESL research standards are limited and must always be reexamined and expanded upon. Today's ethical guidelines take many issues into consideration and are reviewed regularly. Standards in ESL research must continually evolve in order to best protect the subjects and to ensure quality control.