SPPU Solved Question Papers
Social Research Methods
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 4
Apr 2025 Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 4 Social Research Methods Apr 2025 Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 6 November 2026.
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Contents
The questions below are the paper as Savitribai Phule Pune University set it at the Apr 2025 examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the Apr 2025 examination, reproduced as Savitribai Phule Pune University set them, in the order it set them. Nothing has been reworded, added or left out. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 70 · 13 questions answered
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
SECTION I
PART A 30 Marks
Q1)Ethics and Values plays a very significant role while conducting the research. Illustrate this statement addressing some important principles and examples associated with the same.[15]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the meaning of ethics and values in research; why they matter; the main principles with examples: informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality and anonymity, avoiding harm, special care for vulnerable groups, honesty (no fabrication, falsification or plagiarism), objectivity and value neutrality, respect for persons and justice, responsibility to society; famous cases that shaped research ethics; ethics committees and Indian rules (the UGC Regulations 2018, data protection); and a conclusion.
Meaning
Ethics in research means the moral principles that guide how research is planned, conducted and reported. Values are the researcher's commitments, such as honesty, respect and fairness. Social research studies people, so it can help or harm them.
Why ethics matters
- Protection of participants from harm.
- Trust of participants and society in research.
- Quality: honest research produces reliable knowledge.
- Legal duty under laws on privacy and data.
Important principles, with examples
Duties towards participants
- Informed consent. Participants must be told the purpose, methods, risks and use of the research, and must agree freely.
- Voluntary participation. Nobody may be forced, and anyone may withdraw at any time.
- Confidentiality and anonymity. Identities and personal information must be protected.
- No harm. Physical, mental, social or legal harm must be avoided.
- Vulnerable groups. Children, prisoners, victims and patients need extra protection and, where needed, guardians' consent.
Duties of honesty
- No fabrication (inventing data) or falsification (altering data).
- No plagiarism: others' words and ideas must be acknowledged. The UGC Regulations of 2018 on academic integrity provide penalties for plagiarism in higher education.
- Honest reporting of results, including negative ones, and disclosure of funding or conflicts of interest.
Objectivity and value neutrality
Max Weber argued that researchers must not let their own values decide their findings. They should separate what is from what ought to be, and declare their judgments openly.
Example: a researcher studying a political movement must report findings fairly, even if they go against her own opinions.
Respect, justice and responsibility to society
- Respect for persons: treating participants as people, not objects.
- Justice: the burdens and benefits of research should be shared fairly. Poor or vulnerable groups should not bear the risks while others enjoy the benefits.
- Responsibility: research should serve society, and its results should be shared with the communities studied.
Cases that shaped research ethics
- The Nuremberg Code (1947), after Nazi medical experiments, required voluntary consent.
- In the Tuskegee study in the United States, poor Black men with syphilis were left untreated for decades. It led to stronger rules on consent and justice.
- Milgram's obedience experiments (1960s) raised concerns about deceiving participants and causing them stress.
Ethics committees and Indian rules
- Universities have ethics committees that review research with human participants before it begins.
- The UGC Regulations of 2018 on academic integrity provide penalties for plagiarism.
- Personal data of respondents must be protected, now under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023.
Conclusion. Ethics and values are central to social research. Informed consent, voluntary participation, confidentiality, avoidance of harm, care for the vulnerable, honesty, objectivity, justice and responsibility protect participants and make research trustworthy. Lessons from Nuremberg, Tuskegee and Milgram show why these principles must never be ignored.
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