I’ve been studying D845 Research methods dissertation in social sciences since the 1st May, now 11 weeks into the course and one of the big learning points for me has been on ethics. In my college days, I would have just rolled out a questionnaire, for example, and not given a single thought on the ethical considerations, I’m sorry to say. It has been a real eye opener to realise all the ethical issues that need to be taken into consideration. Something that may appear straight forward and simple has many underlying ethical dilemmas that need to be addressed. I find myself thinking about the ethical considerations in everything I do and read now.
The Statement (BSA, 2002) focuses on professional integrity and maintaining the integrity of sociological inquiry as a discipline; safeguarding the interests and safety of all involved and ensuring that the research is worthwhile and seeks to do good. The guidelines veer between taking a deontological approach (guarding people’s rights), and a teleological approach (seeking to do good on balance). A key consideration in research ethics is whether the potential benefits justify any potential harm. Tim May (1997) distinguishes between the two broad positions, which are both relevant to contemporary debates.
Feminist writers present the case for explicit acknowledgement of the political values that underlie research, defining feminist research as that which is informed by the value of being ‘for women’.
A concern with the ethical dimensions of the research process – including both qualitative and quantitative research methods has led to writings on feminist methodology, for example, Finch, 1984 and Oakley, 1981.
Edwards and Mauthner (2002) adopt a teleological position – although arguing for the relevance of an ethic of care, suggesting that the value of care can act as a framework to inform the whole research process; they argue that the ethic of care itself requires careful attention to the details of context and process. Examples of general issues and thoughts that may be relevant to the contextualisation, they present are:
the context in terms of the specific topic of the research and the issues it raises personally and socially for those involved
the specific social and personal locations of the people involved in relation to each other
the needs of those involved and how they interrelate
who the researchers identify themselves with in relation to different individuals and parties in the research and other relevant contexts, and who they may identify as Other
the balance of personal and social power between those involved
how thoese involved will understand the actions of the researcher and whether these are in balance with the researchers’ judgement about their own practice
how ethical dilemmas can be communicated to those involved, providing room for them to raise their views and negotiate about them
how researchers’ actions may affect relationships between the people involved
Ethical decisions have to be made on a case-by-case basis and researchers have a responsibility to develop and refine their own ethical integrity. Not everything that is ethical is legal and there is a close relationship between law and ethics. The codes of ethics and ethical guidelines are established to enable people to make consistent decisions based on firm ethical principles and to protect human rights; but the aspirations of ethical practice must always be higher than the minimum ethical standards that are set out. An open mind and continued reflection is vital.
I was reading the chapter on Ethics in Hammersely and Atkinson (1995, chapter 10) and reviewing my research proposal against the discussions points on consent, privacy, harm, exploitation and consequences for future academic future. In my revised proposal, I’ve considered and hopefully addressed the following:
being able to assure individuals of confidentiality and anonymity
Addressing the possibility of distress or psychological harm
Informed consent
protecting participants from any harm
making clear that there are no conflicts of interest in my research
addressing power issues, for example, ensuring that stereotypes are not reinforced at the detriment of others
References:
Edwards, R. and Mauthner, M. (2002) ‘Ethics and feminist research: theory and practice’, in Mauthner, M., Birch, M., Jessop, J. and Miller, T (eds) Ethics in Qualitative Research, London, Sage.
Finch, J. (1984) ‘”It’s great to have someone to talk to”: the ethics and politics of interviewing women’, in Bell, C. and Roberts, H. (eds) Social Researching: Politics, Problems, Practice, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul
Hammersley, M. and Atkinson, P. (2007) Ethnography Principles in Practice (3rd Ed.) London, Routledge
May. T. (1997) ‘Values and ethics in the research process’, Chapter 3 in Social Research: Issues, Methods and Processes, Buckingham, Open University Press
Oakley, A. (1981) ‘Interviewing women, a contradiction in terms’, in Roberts, H. (ed) Doing Feminist Research, London, Routledge and Kegan Paul