Ethics

The Shadow Chasers Paranormal Investigations & Research was founded by social-sciences researchers Phil and Katharine Creighton as per their respective academic disciplines of Anthropology and Psychology. The SCPIR follows the research ethics of both the American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the American Psychological Association (APA) with all investigators NYS CITI Certified.

Researchers have primary ethical obligations to the people, species, and materials they study and to the people with whom they work. These obligations can supersede the goal of seeking new knowledge, and can lead to decisions not to undertake or to discontinue a research project when the primary obligation conflicts with other responsibliities, such as those owed to sponsors or clients. These ethical obligations include:

• To avoid harm or wrong, understanding that the development of knowledge can lead to change which may be positive or negative for the people or animals worked with or studied.
• To respect the well-being of humans.
• To consult actively with the affected individuals or group(s), with the goal of establishing a working relationship that can be beneficial to all parties involved

Researchers must do everything in their power to ensure that their research does not harm the safety, dignity, or privacy of the people with whom they work, conduct research, or perform other professional activities. Researchers with do everything in their power to ensure that the research does not harm the safety or psychological well-being of subject(s).

Researchers must determine in advance whether their hosts/providers of information wish to remain anonymous or receive recognition, and make every effort to comply with those wishes. Researchers must present to their research participants the possible impacts of the choices, and make clear that despite their best efforts, anonymity may be compromised or recognition fail to materialize.

Researchers should obtain in advance informed consent of persons, sites being studied providing information, owning or controlling access to material being studied, or otherwise identified as having interests which might be impacted by the research.It is understood that the degree and breadth of informed consent required will depend on the nature of the project and may be affected by requirements of other codes, laws, and ethics of the country or community in which the research is pursued. Informed consent, for the purposes of this code, does not necessarily impy or require a particular written or signed form. It is the quality of the consent, not the format, that is relevant.

For more details on these codes of ethics read:

AAA Code of Ethics and APA Code of Ethics