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As researchers we are unable to conduct our projects successfully
if we do not receive the help of other people. If
we expect them to give up their valuable time to help us, it
follows that we should offer them something in return.
Many people are willing to disclose a lot of personal information
during our research so we need to make sure
that we treat both the participants and the information
they provide with honesty and respect. This is called research
ethics.
TREATING PARTICIPANTS WITH RESPECT
As a researcher you must remember that the research process
intrudes on people’s lives. Some of the people who
take part in your research may be vulnerable because of
their age, social status or position of powerlessness. If participants
are young, you need to make sure a parent or
guardian is present. If participants are ill or reaching
old age you might need to use a proxy and care should
be taken to make sure that you do not affect the relationship
between the proxy and the participant.
Some people may find participation a rewarding process,
whereas others will not. Your research should not give
rise to false hopes or cause unnecessary anxiety. You must
try to minimise the disruption to people’s lives and if
someone has found it an upsetting experience you should
find out why and try to ensure that the same situation
does not occur again.
As a researcher you will encounter awkward situations,
but good preparation and self-awareness will help to reduce
these. If they do happen, you should not dwell too
long on the negative side – reflect, analyse, learn by your
mistakes and move on.
You must do your best to ensure anonymity and confidentiality.
However, information given by research participants
in confidence does not enjoy legal privilege. This
means that the information may be liable to subpoena
by a court. If you’re dealing with very sensitive information
which you know could be called upon by a court of
law, you will need to inform your participants that you
would be obliged to hand over the information.
OVERT AND COVERT RESEARCH
Overt research means that it is open, out in the public and
that everyone knows who you are and what you are doing.
Covert research means that you are doing it under cover,
that no one knows you are a researcher or what you are
doing. In my opinion covert research should be kept to
a minimum – there are enough journalists and television
personalities doing this kind of undercover, sensationalist
work.
CODE OF ETHICS
Once you have been open and honest about what you are
doing and people have agreed to take part in the research,
it is useful to provide them with a Code of Ethics. The best
time to do this is just before they take part in a focus
group or interview, or just before they fill in your questionnaire.
The Code of Ethics supplies them with details
about what you intend to do with the information they
give and it shows that you intend to treat both them
and the information with respect and honesty. It covers
the following issues:
1. Anonymity: you need to show that you are taking steps
to ensure that what participants have said cannot be
traced back to them when the final report is produced.
How are you going to categorise and store the information?
How are you going to make sure it is not easily
accessible to anyone with unscrupulous intentions? Do
you intend to change the names of people, towns and
organisations? If not, how will you ensure that what
someone says cannot be used against them in the future?
However, you must be careful not to make promises
that you cannot keep.
2. Confidentiality: you need to show that information supplied
to you in confidence will not be disclosed directly
to third parties. If the information is supplied in a
group setting, issues of confidentiality should be relevant
to the whole group who should also agree not
to disclose information directly to third parties. You
need to think about how you’re going to categorise
and store the information so that it cannot fall into unscrupulous
hands. Again, you need to make sure that
you do not make promises which you can’t keep.
3. Right to comment: this will depend on your personal
methodological preferences and beliefs. Some researchers
believe that willing participants should be
consulted throughout the research process and that if
someone is unhappy with the emerging results and report,
they have the right to comment and discuss alterations.
Indeed, this can be seen as part of the
research process itself. Other researchers believe that
once the information has been supplied, it is up to
them what they do with it. If you’re not willing to discuss
the final report or take on board comments from
unhappy participants, you must make this clear from
the outset.
4. The final report: it is useful for participants to know
what is going to happen with the results. Who will receive
a free copy of the report? Will it be on public display?
If the final report is very long you can produce a
shorter, more succinct report which can be sent to interested
participants. This will keep down your own
production and postage costs.
5. Data Protection: you need to show that you understand
the Data Protection Act and that you intend to comply
with its rules. The Data Protection Act 1998 came into
force on 1 March 2000. It sets rules for processing personal
information and applies to paper records as well
as those held on computers. It covers issues such as acting
fairly and lawfully; not keeping the information
longer than necessary; making sure that the data is accurate
and kept secure. Personal data covers both facts
and opinions about an individual. More details about
the Data Protection Act can be found at www.dataprotection.gov.uk. A copy of the Data Protection Act 1998
can be obtained from The Stationery Office Limited at
a price of £10, or from www.legislation.hmso.gov.uk
The amount of detail you provide in your Code of Ethics
will depend on your research, your participants and your
methodological preferences. Some people will not want to
see a lengthy list of ethical considerations, whereas others
will go through your list with a fine tooth-comb. It is for
this reason that you might find it useful to produce two – a
short summary and a longer version for those who are interested.
The British Sociological Association has produced a
Statement of Ethical Practice which can be viewed at
www.britsoc.org.uk. This statement covers issues such as
professional integrity; relations with, and responsibilities
towards research participants; relations with, and responsibilities
towards sponsors and/or funders. It is a very detailed
list and will help you to think about all the ethical
issues which may arise during your research.
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