The right to service refers to a research participant’s ethical entitlement to receive standard services or care, even while participating in a study.
Understanding the Right to Service in Research Ethics
The right to service is a foundational principle in research ethics, especially when research involves human participants who are receiving or depending on services. This concept ensures that individuals participating in a research study do not lose access to the services or care they are otherwise entitled to receive. In simpler terms, participating in research should not come at the cost of basic services or support.
This principle plays a key role in protecting vulnerable populations and maintaining fairness and equity in social science research. It also helps researchers navigate ethical dilemmas when designing studies that compare different forms of services or when a control group is needed.
Why the Right to Service Matters
Researchers often study interventions, programs, or services to understand their effectiveness. For example, a study might test whether a new education program helps students perform better in school. But what happens to the students who do not receive the new program because they are in the control group? Should they receive no support at all? The right to service addresses these kinds of questions.
This ethical right ensures participants continue to receive at least the standard level of care or support they would normally get outside the research context. It prevents researchers from withholding necessary services just to make an experiment more “clean” or scientifically appealing. In this way, the right to service balances the goals of research with the dignity and well-being of participants.
The Right to Service in Different Social Science Fields
In Psychology
Imagine a study testing a new form of therapy for depression. Participants are randomly assigned to receive the new therapy or to be in a control group. The right to service means the control group must still receive standard therapy or referrals to mental health care. Researchers cannot deny participants the help they would otherwise receive just for the sake of comparison.
In Education
A school-based study might examine whether a new reading program improves literacy. Teachers and students in the treatment group use the new method, while those in the control group follow the usual curriculum. The right to service ensures that students in the control group still receive regular instruction—they are not left without teaching simply to make the research results more striking.
In Public Health
Researchers might be testing a new community outreach program to prevent drug misuse. The right to service would mean that community members not receiving the new program must still have access to existing prevention services. Researchers must not create conditions where participants are worse off than they would have been without the study.
In Criminal Justice
Suppose a researcher is testing a new rehabilitation program for people on probation. Individuals in the study group get the new program, while those in the control group do not. The right to service means the control group should still receive the probation services they would normally get. No participant should be deprived of standard support due to the research.
Ethical Principles Supporting the Right to Service
Beneficence
Beneficence means doing good and avoiding harm. The right to service aligns with this principle by protecting participants from being harmed by missing out on services they need.
Justice
Justice is about fairness. If researchers provide new services to one group but deny standard services to another, it creates an unfair situation. The right to service ensures all participants are treated fairly and equitably.
Respect for Persons
This principle emphasizes individual dignity and autonomy. By guaranteeing the right to service, researchers show respect for participants’ needs and avoid using them merely as tools to gain knowledge.
The Right to Service vs. Randomized Control Trials
One challenge researchers face is how to conduct rigorous studies—such as randomized control trials (RCTs)—while honoring the right to service. In an RCT, participants are randomly assigned to different groups, which can raise ethical concerns if one group receives less support.
To deal with this, researchers often use strategies like:
- Waitlist control groups: Participants in the control group receive the new service later, after the study ends.
- Enhanced usual care: The control group receives standard care with some additional support to ensure they are not disadvantaged.
- Alternative designs: Researchers might use observational studies or quasi-experimental designs to avoid withholding services.
By choosing the right design, researchers can gather valuable data while still respecting ethical responsibilities.
Institutional Review Boards and the Right to Service
Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) play a key role in upholding the right to service. These boards review research proposals to ensure participants are not harmed or unfairly treated. They often require researchers to explain:
- What services participants will receive during the study
- How the control group will be treated
- Whether any services will be withheld and why
If a study risks denying participants necessary services, the IRB may require changes or deny approval.
Real-World Examples
Example 1: Social Work Research
A social worker tests a new housing support model for people experiencing homelessness. The research plan includes a control group that would receive no support. The IRB intervenes, requiring that the control group at least receive the standard community housing services. This protects the participants’ right to service.
Example 2: Education Policy Study
A state education department wants to test a new college readiness program. Some schools get the new program, while others do not. Parents and teachers raise concerns about fairness. The researchers respond by ensuring all schools continue to receive their usual college prep support, and the new program is added on top of that in the treatment schools.
Example 3: Community Health Outreach
A nonprofit tests a nutrition program for low-income families. To honor the right to service, the control group is provided with basic food and health information while the intervention group gets full access to the new program. This helps the study remain ethical while still providing useful comparisons.
Challenges in Applying the Right to Service
Even though this principle is widely accepted, applying it can be complex. Challenges include:
- Limited resources: Researchers may not have enough funding to provide services to all groups.
- Service variability: What counts as “standard care” can differ across locations and populations.
- Participant expectations: Some participants may feel disappointed if they do not get the new service, even if they still receive standard care.
Despite these challenges, researchers must plan carefully to uphold the right to service. Ethical research does not happen by accident—it takes thoughtful design and open communication.
How to Respect the Right to Service in Your Research
If you are designing a study that involves providing or evaluating services, here are key steps to follow:
- Identify the standard services available to your participants.
- Make sure no one receives less than the usual level of support.
- Consider using a waitlist or other design that offers the new service to all eventually.
- Be transparent in your consent forms about what participants will and will not receive.
- Work closely with your IRB or ethics committee to review your plans.
By taking these steps, you build trust with participants and ensure your study contributes to knowledge without causing harm.
The Right to Service Promotes Ethical and Inclusive Research
In social science, our work often touches real lives. That’s why respecting the right to service is not just a rule—it’s a reflection of our values. When researchers protect this right, they show that participants are not just subjects of study but people with needs, rights, and dignity.
Ethical research builds stronger communities and produces better data. Participants who feel respected and supported are more likely to engage fully and honestly. In this way, upholding the right to service helps both science and society move forward.
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Last Modified: 03/25/2025