research ethics overview for social science researchers

RESEARCH ETHICS: THOUGHTS AND REFLECTIONS FOR SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCHERS

Dr. Sarah Quinton, Chair Oxford Brookes University Research Ethics Committee

[email protected]

OUTLINE OF SESSION

• Principles of ethics in research• Core aspects:

• Recruitment• Data• Safety of participant and researcher• Security sensitive research/illegal subject research

• Common issues• Dependency• Separation of role

• Good practice • Suggested resources• Q and A

Principles of ethics in research

ESRC principles • Research should aim to maximise benefit for individuals and society

and minimise risk and harm• The rights and dignity of individuals and groups should be respected• Wherever possible, participation should be voluntary and appropriately

informed• Research should be conducted with integrity and transparency• Lines of responsibility and accountability should be clearly defined• Independence of research should be maintained and where conflicts of

interest cannot be avoided they should be made explicit.

Source: http://www.esrc.ac.uk/funding/guidance-for-applicants/research-ethics/our-core-principles/

Implications of the ESRC principles

• All staff & students are required to consider the ethical implications of the research they conduct with human participants

• Researchers should ensure the dignity, rights, safety and well-being of participants are given primary consideration

• It is a University requirement for staff /research students to follow the research ethics review procedures

Different ethics reviews procedures depending on subject

NHS Research Ethics Committees (NRES)– Research involving patients / social care users or their

relatives / carers, recruited through the NHS– Research with human tissue, blood, bodies, body parts– Takes longer to obtain, plan for this

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD RESEARCH ETHICS

FREE FROM COERCION: Participants should be free from coercion of any kind and should not be pressured to participate in a study, participation should be voluntary• Is there an implicit pressure from management

for employees to participate in my research? How can this be mitigated?

• Are participants my clients? How can I demonstrate that I have separated my research from my work?

• Are participants dependent in any other way?

Really?


CONSENT: Where 3rd parties are affected by the research, consent should be obtained

Am I intending to carry out my research through a company or organisation?

Do I need permission to carry out my research here? Gatekeeper letters may be required to be included with the ethics application.


HONESTY: Honesty should be central to the relationship between researcher, participant and institutional representatives and also funder

Is all relevant information given on my participant information sheet?

Could I be accused of deception? Is the participant information sheet understandable

and free from jargon


Transparency: The requirement to be open in your research to all stakeholders

• Is it clear to a layperson; who is responsible for the research? which organisation may be funding the research, and or to whom questions or concerns should be directed?


USE OF THIRD PARTIES: The use of those with specialist skills

• Are you using any third parties to collect or analyse data, such as transcribers?

If so you are likely to need a confidentiality agreement

PRINCIPLES OF GOOD RESEARCH ETHICSCONFIDENTIALITY AND ANONYMITY: Participants’

confidentiality and anonymity should be maintained

• How do I practice my duty of confidentiality?• What measures can I take to protect anonymity?

(use of pseudonyms? Codes?) • If anonymity cannot be assured have I informed

the participants?


COLLECTION AND STORAGE OF DATA: The collection and storage of data must be secure Are my files/computer password protected? How can security be assured in the ‘field’?

DISSEMINATION: Researchers have a duty to disseminate their research findings to all appropriate parties– …a summary of findings, available on email request,

would suffice.

Core aspects of research ethics

Recruitment of participants/respondents• recruitment platforms

• Issues with Mturk or equivalent

• What is their core ethos, university based or commercial?

Informed consent• Opt in – vs. opt out


Data• collection• storage• ownership• deletion/destroy• digital footprints


Safety and wellbeing of participant• Distress management planning• Location of research• Gender, faith

Safety and wellbeing of researcher• Lone researcher protocol• Debriefing options


Research involving security sensitive data• University specific guidelines in accordance with aspects of

the Prevent agenda• Awareness of flagging of researchers and those associated

with researcher

Research involving illegal subject matter data• Safety of participants and researcher• Data management

Core aspects of research ethics in relation to secondary data

Consider• public vs, private data• ownership of data, including images• validity and reliability of data• attribution of the data

Common Issues

Informed consent not always necessary• observations• some social media research

• Research involving children or vulnerable groups and who to get consent

from

PROBLEMATIC AREASDEPENDENT RELATIONSHIPS •Student/teacher, colleague/employee

SEPARARTION OF ROLE•Researcher/employee, researcher/coach, researcher/consultant

OVERSEAS / OFF-SITE RESEARCHER SAFETY

PARTICIPANT FREEDOM •Consider whether there are any repercussions to the individual from participating/not participating?

PROBLEM AREAS IN THE PAPERWORK DESCRIPTION OF RESEARCH•Think about your participants when writing the P I Sheet: is it understandable for age, literacy level, education level, culture, profession etc?

PI SHEET AND CONSENT FORMS •Match with checklists of institution•The ‘public face’ of your university

Emerging problem areas

Images – still or moving• photo elicitation as a prompt tool in research• inclusion of images made of participants• inclusion of images made by participants• attribution of images used

• consider Vlog material, Youtube etc

Suggestions for good practice

• Involve specialist experts if necessary, seek advice, especially with interdisciplinary research

• Look at previous projects for insight• Be mindful of local ‘norms’• Look to external guidelines for assistance

Suggestions for good practice

• If a multi tiered research project or when results of one part feed into the design of the next –staged consent forms

• Dissemination of results to all stakeholders in different formats, e.g summary reports, workshops in organisations , research log etc

• Involvement of participants in research design, co-creation of research – where practical

Suggested Resources

• The Association of Internet Research, helpful code of ethics for research, http://aoir.org/reports/ethics2.pdf

• ERIC – Ethical research involving children http://childethics.com/• The Research Ethics Guidebook for Social Scientists

http://www.ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/• The British Psychological Society, ethics guidance

http://www.bps.org.uk/what-we-do/bps/ethics-standards/ethics-standards

• British Academy of Management – training and events for researchers including ethics https://www.bam.ac.uk/training-and-events

• European Network of Research Ethics Committees – (EUREC),very detailed trans-border information etc http://www.eurecnet.org/index.html

Thank you

research ethics overview for social science researchers

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