To study a radical $$right$-$to$-$life$$ group, Professor Jenkins joins the group without telling the members that he is secretly studying it$.$ After each meeting, he returns home and takes field notes about the members and their discussion. After several months, he is invited to become a member of the group$$s board of directors and he accepts. One evening at the group$$s meeting, a member of the board becomes enraged during the discussion about abortion information and procedures available at a local women$$s health clinic. He shouts that the clinic staff deserves to die. Later that week, someone fires a gun through several windows of the clinic. Although no one is killed, several clinic staff and one patient are injured. The police find out that Professor Jenkins has been studying the local group and subpoena his field notes. Professor Jenkins complies, and the board member is arrested.

a$.$ Is this research ethical?

b$.$ If not, what principles of research ethics were violated? If so$,$ how does it comply with ethical standards?

c$.$ Regardless of your answer to part a$,$ suggest possible revisions to the research design that would make this project more ethical. What problems would these revisions pose $($if any$)$ for achieving the goal of the research project?