ScholarOne - Deception through partial disclosure in research: exploring
the ethics committee dilemma
Abstract
Deception in research is contentious, as ethical codes stress informed
consent, yet complete disclosure may jeopardise the validity of certain
studies. Hence, this study explores the ethical justification for
incomplete deception (partial disclosure) as categorised by the Indian
Council for Medical Research (ICMR) guidelines, permissible instances,
and the dilemma faced by ethics committees in balancing scientific
rigour and participant protection. Qualitative, descriptive
cross-sectional research using in-depth interviews was adopted, and
themes were identified through thematic analysis. Findings reveal
challenges for ethics committees as incomplete information hampers
understanding, among others. Alternatively, partial disclosure could be
justified by the 3Vs—value, validity, and veracity—to preserve
research integrity. The paper proposes an ethics committee framework,
urging researchers to minimise or avoid partial deception and
recommending institutional awareness campaigns and Standard Operating
Procedures for minimal-harm studies using partial disclosure.