This document discusses several ethical considerations for research involving human participants. It raises questions about informed consent, costs and benefits to participants, and privacy. The key principles are that participants must provide informed consent, having been told the purpose and procedures of the research, their right to not participate or withdraw, and potential benefits. Researchers must consider external codes and laws, risks to participants, and the consequences of the research for individuals and society. The Seedhouse Ethical Grid is presented as a tool to help structure ethical analysis in research.

1. Ethical Considerations

2. Questions to consider:
1. Can it ever be justified to observe people without them knowing
for the purposes of research?
2. Should participants always be told the ‘whole truth’?
3. Are there some matters that are so private or sensitive, they
should not be the focus for research?
4. What type and level of costs to participants are acceptable?
5. What if anything can participants reasonably expect in return for
their participation?

3. General principles:
Informed consent
What does informed mean – who is to give consent…
• The purpose of the research, length of time and procedures
• Right to not take part in the research
• Right to withdraw from the research once participation has
begun
• Any research benefits
• Whom to contact for questions about the research
• Research is conducted in accordance with the approved
research protocol

4. External Considerations
Consequential Layer
Duties + Motives
Individuals
Seedhouse Ethical Grid

5. External Considerations
• Codes of practice
• Risks
• The law
• Use of resources
• Effectiveness and efficiency
of action
• The degree of certainty of
the evidence on which
action is taken

6. Consequentialist Layer
Consequences of the
research for:
 Oneself
 the individual
 a particular group of
individuals
 society

7. Duties + Motives (Intentions)
• Tell the truth
• Minimise harm
• Keep promises
• Do most positive good

8. Concern for Individuals
 Respect the needs of
individuals
 Respect Autonomy
 Respect persons equally
 Create autonomy?
 The Ethic of Trust?

9. A quote from Seedhouse……
‘The Ethical Grid is a tool, and nothing more than that. Like a
hammer or screwdriver used competently, it can make certain
tasks easier, but it cannot direct the tasks, nor can it help
decide which tasks are the most important. The Grid can
enhance deliberation- it can throw light into unseen corners
and can suggest new avenues of thought – but it is not a
substitute for personal judgement’ (p.209)
Seedhouse, D. (1998) Ethics at the heart of heathcare. Wiley
Publishing.

10. Advantages
• Provides structure and coherence in a field in which it is
lacking
• Based on Moral theory
• Can be used over time at different points in the research
• Seems to embrace many of the ideas described elsewhere

11. Reference
• Stutchbury, K. and Fox, A. (2009) 'Ethics in
educational research: introducing a
methodological tool for effective ethical
analysis', Cambridge Journal of Education,
Vol. 39, No. 4, pp. 489 – 504.