Prime incentives, ethical dilemmas: The case of Amazon gift cards and lessons for integrity in social research

This research note presents a critical moment during a doctoral research project in which I was faced with the decision of whether to offer Amazon gift cards to participants. Issues of ethics and justice were at the forefront of this research given its focus on teaching critical economics and the broader political context in which it was undertaken. I begin by contextualizing the critical incident within the research study and detailing the ethical dilemma it raised. Next, I outline the ways in which the dominant literature on research design and methods deals with ethical considerations in social research. I argue that most accounts overlook the potentially serious and lasting harm that may affect individuals and contexts beyond those directly implicated in the study, as illustrated by the Amazon gift card dilemma. I suggest that researchers ought to consider the research integrity of a project in which ethical decision-making is an integral part of the research process. I also propose a more collectivist approach to ethical decision-making in the research community, ending with specific recommendations.