Les dispositions éthiques dans la conduite de l’enquête et la livraison publique de ses résultats

Abstract

This paper questions the transmission of sociological research. The authors suggest to think the underestimated link between epistemology, method and ethics. Sociological research is grounded in empirical data that connect the sociologist with his informants. He can also depends on the sponsors of his research. From the empirical data, he will construct a theory that might relate to actors engaged with him in a methodological cooperation. Then will appear the question of publishing of the research result in which the sociologist will face the scientific community and the public audience. He might have to think about the way his research results might be use by his informants, partners, scientific community and public audience. According to these observations, it appears that epistemology and methodology of the sociological research are linked to its political and ethical stakes. How to think these links? This is the question at the center of this paper. In order to proceed so, the authors depart from three assertions to question the fundamental “rules of sociological method” and rely on their previous research on sociological survey.

Keywords

• restitution
• epistemology
• ethics
• methodology