Analysis of Thesis Studies on Ethics in Social, Health and Educational Sciences: A Systematic Review

Öz

This study aims to examine the thematic, methodological and interdisciplinary characteristics of theses on ethics written in the last five years in Türkiye. The research was conducted on 359 theses on ethics published in Türkiye between 2020-2024 years. The fields in which these theses were published, the research methods used and the themes addressed were analyzed in detail. The Council of Higher Education (CoHE) thesis database was used as a data collection tool, and data were collected through the titles, keywords and contents of the theses. The obtained results revealed that theses on ethics were largely concentrated in the fields of social sciences, health sciences and educational sciences. And it was observed that there were more theses on ethics in the field of social sciences than in the other two fields. Moreover, it was also revealed that ethical issues are considered from a broader interdisciplinary perspective and that the ethical awareness should be further investigated. Therefore, it is recommended that there should be more integrated ethics studies with the international literature.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Ethics
• Ethical Decision Making
• Privacy
• Systematic Review
• Thesis

Sosyal, Sağlık ve Eğitim Bilimlerinde Etik Konulu Tez Çalışmalarının Analizi: Sistematik Bir İnceleme

Öz

Bu çalışma, Türkiye'de son beş yılda etik alanında yazılan tezlerin tematik, metodolojik ve disiplinlerarası özelliklerini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, 2020-2024 yılları arasında Türkiye'de etik alanında yayımlanmış 359 tez üzerinde yürütülmüştür. Bu tezlerin hangi alanlarda yayımlandığı, kullanılan araştırma yöntemleri ve ele alınan temalar ayrıntılı bir şekilde analiz edilmiştir. Veri toplama aracı olarak Yükseköğretim Kurulu (YÖK) tez veri tabanı kullanılmış ve tezlerin başlıkları, anahtar kelimeleri ve içerikleri üzerinden veri toplanmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, etik konulu tezlerin daha çok sosyal bilimler, sağlık bilimleri ve eğitim bilimleri alanlarında yoğunlaştığını ortaya koymuştur. Sosyal bilimler alanında etik konulu tezlerin diğer iki alana göre daha fazla olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca, etik konuların daha geniş bir disiplinlerarası perspektiften ele alındığı ve etik farkındalığın daha fazla araştırılması gerektiği de ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu nedenle, uluslararası literatürle daha bütünleşik etik çalışmalarının yapılması önerilmektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Etik
• Etik Karar Alma
• Mahremiyet
• Sistematik Derleme
• Tez

Kaynakça

1. Akdoğan, A., & Demirtaş, Ö. (2014). The effect of ethical leadership behaviors on ethical climate: The mediating role of organizational political perceptions. Afyon Kocatepe University Journal of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 16(1), 107–124.
2. Aktaş, K. (2014). Ethics-ethics relationship and the development process of ethics. International Journal of Management and Social Research, 1(2), 22–32.
3. Asunakutlu, T. (2002). Elements related to the creation of organizational trust and an evaluation. Muğla University Journal of Institute of Social Sciences, (9), 1–13.
4. Aydın, İ. (2006). Ethical values from research to publication in social sciences. In Periodical Publishing in Social Sciences: Proceedings of the I. National Assembly.
5. Balcı, A. (2001). Research in social sciences: Methods, techniques and principles. PegemA Publications.
6. Battal, F., & Seyrek, E. (2022). Analysis of graduate theses on ethical leadership and ethical codes in Turkey: Qualitative study for systematic review. Süleyman Demirel University Visionary Journal, 13(36), 1170–1185.
7. Beauchamp, T. (2003). Methods and principles in biomedical ethics. Journal of Medical Ethics, 29(5), 269–274.
8. Beauchamp, T. L., & Childress, J. F. (2013). Principles of biomedical ethics (7th ed.). Oxford University Press.

9. Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics: Marking its fortieth anniversary. The American Journal of Bioethics, 19(11), 9–12.
10. Biagini, G. (2025). Towards an AI-literate future: A systematic literature review exploring education, ethics, and applications. International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education, 1–51.
11. Bond, M., Khosravi, H., De Laat, M., Bergdahl, N., Negrea, V., Oxley, E., & Siemens, G. (2024). A meta systematic review of artificial intelligence in higher education: A call for increased ethics, collaboration, and rigour. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 21(1), 4.
12. Brown, N. (2023). Research ethics in a changing social sciences environment. Research Ethics, 19(2), 157–165.
13. Carniel, J., Hickey, A., Southey, K., Brömdal, A., Crowley-Cyr, L., Eacersall, D., & Pillay, Y. (2023). The ethics review and the humanities and social sciences: Disciplinary distinctions in ethics review processes. Research Ethics, 19(2), 139–156.
14. Coşkun, B., & Çelikten, M. (2020). A review on teaching professional ethics. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 15(21), 686–710.
15. Çalık, M., & Sözbilir, M. (2014). Parameters of content analysis. Education and Science, 39(174).
16. Çelen, B. C. (2024). The role of ethical leadership in the relationship between ethical climate and organizational commitment in primary and secondary education institutions [Doctoral thesis, Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University].
17. Dede, A. (2019). Ethical issues in social sciences. Mukaddime, 10(2), 711–714.
18. Fidan, S. N. (2024). Examining the views of school administrators on the role of ethical leadership in decision making process and method applications [Master’s thesis, Fırat University].
19. Gillon, R. (1994). Medical ethics: Four principles plus attention to scope. BMJ, 309(6948), 184–188.
20. Gürkan, G. Ç., & Akay, D. (2021). The effect of ethical leader perception on individual innovativeness level in healthcare workers. Journal of Organizational Behavior Review, 3(1), 1–18.
21. Haltaufderheide, J., & Ranisch, R. (2024). The ethics of ChatGPT in medicine and healthcare: A systematic review on Large Language Models (LLMs). NPJ Digital Medicine, 7(1), 183.
22. Kaç, B. (2024). Utilitarian ethical analysis of composite tissue transplants in Turkey in the context of quality of life: A community-based qualitative study [Master’s thesis, Istanbul Medipol University].
23. Karatay, M. (2022). Academic ethics. International Anatolian Journal of Social Sciences, 6(1), 196–214.
24. Khreisat, M. N., Khilani, D., Rusho, M. A., Karkkulainen, E. A., Tabuena, A. C., & Uberas, A. D. (2024). Ethical implications of AI integration in educational decision making: Systematic review. Educational Administration: Theory and Practice, 30(5), 8521–8527.
25. Kovancı, M. S., & Hiçdurmaz, D. (2021). Moral courage: Definition, relationship with moral distress and moral sensitivity and its development. Journal of Duzce University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 11(1), 96–102.
26. Kullu, Ş., & Hiçyorulmaz, E. (2024). Ethics in the health sector. Journal of Management Theory and Practices Research, 5(2), 201–211.
27. Kurtoğlu, A. (2023). Synthetic biology and ethics: A systematic review [Doctoral thesis, Ankara University].
28. Kürü, S. A., & Aksoy, G. (2021). A review of graduate theses on ethical leadership. Ardahan University Journal of Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, 3(2), 102–111.
29. Levent, F., & Kınık, F. Ş. F. (2017). An examination of graduate theses on ethics in the field of education and training in Turkey. Journal of Business Ethics, 10(1), 99–114.
30. MacIntyre, A. (2007). After virtue: A study in moral theory (3rd ed.). University of Notre Dame Press.
31. Mathies, C. (2018). The ethical use of data. New Directions for Institutional Research, 2018(178), 85–97.
32. Miles, M. B., & Huberman, A. M. (1994). Qualitative data analysis: An expanded sourcebook (2nd ed.). Sage.
33. Örengül, K. (2024). Investigation of nurses' ethical sensitivities and patient privacy perceptions [Master’s thesis, Biruni University].
34. Özoğul, B. Akar, E. & Görgün, B. (2024). An examination of postgraduate theses using social storytelling in Turkey: a systematic review. Dokuz Eylül University Buca Faculty of Education Journal, (61), 2139-2158.
35. Reamer, F. (2018). Social work values and ethics (4th ed.). Columbia University Press.
36. Sezer, E. (2024). Program development study to improve ethical sensitivity and ethical decision making skills in nursing students [Doctoral thesis, Istanbul University, Cerrahpaşa].
37. Singer, P. (2011). Practical ethics (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
38. Şaşmaz, T. (2024). Accounting professional ethics and ethical dilemmas faced by professional accountants: A study in the TRA2 region. [Master’s thesis, Kafkas University].
39. Taş, C. (2024). A research on the professional ethical behaviors of academicians according to the opinions of prospective Turkish teachers [Master’s thesis, Van Yüzüncü Yıl University].
40. Tuğan, E. N., & Ömürgönülşen, U. (2020). Content analysis of postgraduate theses on ethics written in the field of public administration. Black Sea Journal of Social Sciences, 12(23), 454–472.
41. Türk, G., Yılmaz, M., Kuğuoğlu, S., & Avcı, Ö. (2023). Ethics in nursing and pediatric nursing: Systematic review within the scope of national nursing theses. Kırşehir Ahi Evran University Journal of Health Sciences, 7(1), 40–57.
42. Türkistanlı, E. (1997). Ethical issues related to health. Journal of Ege University Faculty of Nursing, 13(1), 153–164.
43. Utlu, N. (2016). Ethical approach and ethical dilemmas of nurses in hospital environment. Istanbul Aydin University Journal, 8(29), 17–35.
44. Vural, T. (2024). An applied research on ethical decision making process in clinician veterinary medicine [Doctoral thesis, Fırat University].
45. Uğur, S., & Usta, İ. (2025). Bibliographic analysis of graduate theses on the use of artificial intelligence in education in Turkey. MANAS Journal of Social Research, 14(1), 143–163.
46. Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2013). Qualitative research methods in social sciences (9th ed.). Seçkin Publishing.
47. Yılmaz, K. (2021). Systematic review, meta-evaluation and bibliometric analysis in social and educational sciences. Manas Journal of Social Research, 10(2), 1457–1490.
48. Yılmaz, K. (2024). An analysis of articles on scientific research and publication ethics published in Turkey (1993–2022). MANAS Journal of Social Research, 13(1), 77–92.