This document discusses key ethical considerations in research including informed consent, privacy, confidentiality, potential harms, and benefits. It addresses ethics committees that review proposed research methodology and adherence to ethical codes. Key principles of ethical research are protecting participants, voluntary participation with informed consent, and following national laws. The document also examines ethical issues around vulnerable groups, deception, incentives, and how to respond to ethical dilemmas that may arise during a study.

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ACHIEVING ETHICAL RESEARCH

2. “The value of research depends as much on its
ethical veracity as on the novelty of its discoveries”
(Walliman, 2006: p. 147)

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What are ethics?
Refers to the rules of
conduct of carrying out
research
Ethical issues are
present at all stages of
research
Essential part of the
research process

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Ethics Committees
Proposed methodology, methods of data
collection, and approach to ethical issues
scrutinised by peers
Judgements are are made in accordance with
principles and relevant codes of ethics

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Codes of Ethics
Underpinned by:
Nuremberg Code
(1947-49)
Declaration of Helsinki
(1964)

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4 Key Principles
Protection of the interests of participants
Voluntary participation based on informed consent
No deception
Confirms to national laws
See Denscombe (2010)

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Key Considerations
Respect
Equity
Do no harm
Protection of vulnerable participants

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Rights of Participants
Informed Consent
Anonymity
Confidentiality
Privacy
Dignity

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Sampling &
Representativeness
Sites where access is convenient
Who does this include/exclude?
Representativeness
Not an aim of qualitative research, but
Issues of inclusiveness
Privacy

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Participants or
Subjects?
Research on a group vs research with a group
Exploitation
Getting out

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Children as participants
Research on children vs research with children
Adults instigate research/guard access
Children as co-researchers

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Consent
What is informed consent?
What age can children give
consent?
Can very young children give
consent?
Who has right to consent on
behalf of children/vulnerable
adults?
Active consent vs failure to
dissent

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Deception
Meaning of deception?
Is deception ever
acceptable?
Is deception desirable?
Purposes of deception

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Access & Gatekeepers
Negotiating access
Contacts and power relationships
Pressure to take part?
Adults gatekeep access to children
Motivation/Purpose of consent on behalf of
children

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Incentives
Bribery?
Recompense?
How do you encourage participation?

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Research Settings
Characteristics of research participants
Characteristics of researcher
Gender/ethnicity/age/class/appearance
Location of research

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Harm
No harm principle -
realistic?
Innocent intentions
misinterpreted
Distress - response?
Disclosure - action?

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Benefits
Research aims to benefit
Who does research benefit
Do benefits justify methodology/methods/sample?

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Privacy and
Confidentiality
Participants should be
non-identifiable
Achievable?
Small scale
qualitative research
Limits to confidentiality

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Ethical Dilemmas
Arise during course of
research
Can they be
envisaged?
How you respond to
the situation

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Conclusion
Research ethics - balance - likelihood of harm -
benefits of research
Reflect on ethical issues of in/famous research
studies

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Bibliography
Bryman, A. (2012) Social Research Methods, 4th
ed, Oxford: Oxford University Press
Denscombe, M. (2010) The Good Research Guide:
for small-scale social research projects 4th editon,
Maidenhead: Open University Press
Walliman, N. (2006) Social Research Methods,
London: Sage