Ilsley 2014

Ethics and Qualitative Research:Ethics and Qualitative Research:Theory and PracticeTheory and Practice

12.5.201412.5.2014

Ilsley 2014

Ethics and Qualitative ResearchEthics and Qualitative ResearchPresented to ETR 525Presented to ETR 525

Dr.Paul IlsleyDr.Paul Ilsley

Common ethical issues in qualitative Common ethical issues in qualitative research with practiceresearch with practice

Institutional Review BoardInstitutional Review Board

Claims to Truth and EthicsClaims to Truth and Ethics

Developing a Research PhilosophyDeveloping a Research Philosophy

Ilsley 2014

Principles for ResearchPrinciples for Research

Harm: researchers should avoid harming Harm: researchers should avoid harming participantsparticipants

Beneficence: Research on human subjects should Beneficence: Research on human subjects should produce some positive benefitproduce some positive benefit

Autonomy or self-determination: The values and Autonomy or self-determination: The values and decisions of research participants should be decisions of research participants should be respectedrespected

Justice: People should be treated equallyJustice: People should be treated equally

Adapted from :Beauchamp et al, (1982: 18-19)Adapted from :Beauchamp et al, (1982: 18-19)

Ilsley 2014

Harm and BenefitHarm and Benefit

These two principles are combined to argue that These two principles are combined to argue that research is ethical if the benefits outweigh the research is ethical if the benefits outweigh the potential for harm.potential for harm.

Consider, is it possible for qualitative researchers Consider, is it possible for qualitative researchers to harm the individuals they study?to harm the individuals they study?

Positivism as a the current dominant Positivism as a the current dominant epistemology: how will this affect your epistemology: how will this affect your representation?representation?

Ilsley 2014

Harm and Risk: Your turn!Harm and Risk: Your turn!

In a study of division of household labor, In a study of division of household labor, women participants indicate to you that the women participants indicate to you that the research focus on unequal domestic research focus on unequal domestic workloads has made them dissatisfied. They workloads has made them dissatisfied. They indicate that they would like to challenge indicate that they would like to challenge the current arrangements with their spouse.the current arrangements with their spouse.

Is this outcome beneficial or harmful?Is this outcome beneficial or harmful?

Ilsley 2014

Harm and Risk: Your turn!Harm and Risk: Your turn!

As an ethnographer, you consider yourself to be As an ethnographer, you consider yourself to be sensitive, respectful and caring to your sensitive, respectful and caring to your participants. After writing your research, you are participants. After writing your research, you are surprised to find your participants are offended by surprised to find your participants are offended by your findings and your representations of their your findings and your representations of their situation. They are concerned about future situation. They are concerned about future audiences for your research.audiences for your research.

What is your response to the participants?What is your response to the participants?

Ilsley 2014

Autonomy and Autonomy and Self-DeterminationSelf-Determination

Autonomy: what rights do your research Autonomy: what rights do your research participants have?participants have?

How does signed consent protect your How does signed consent protect your participants?participants?

Will your research be overt or convert? If Will your research be overt or convert? If you plan to have an emergent study, how you plan to have an emergent study, how will you deal with the unknowns?will you deal with the unknowns?

The issue of power relations: does research The issue of power relations: does research lead to exploitation?lead to exploitation?

Ilsley 2014

Autonomy and self-Autonomy and self-determination:Your turn!determination:Your turn!

You envision the outcome of your study as a You envision the outcome of your study as a description of the problems facing families with a description of the problems facing families with a disabled child. This goal is attractive to the disabled child. This goal is attractive to the parents in your study. The focus transformed into parents in your study. The focus transformed into understanding how parents want to view understanding how parents want to view themselves as themselves as ““good parentsgood parents”” . The initial consent . The initial consent was clearly not approved.was clearly not approved.

Did you respect the autonomy of the participants Did you respect the autonomy of the participants and the information about the purpose of the study and the information about the purpose of the study on which their consent was based? Does this on which their consent was based? Does this matter?matter?

Ilsley 2014

Autonomy and self-Autonomy and self-determination:Your turn!determination:Your turn!

A co-participant has challenged your A co-participant has challenged your research relationship as oppressive and research relationship as oppressive and exploitative. Your collaborative approach, exploitative. Your collaborative approach, she maintains, still allows you to maintain she maintains, still allows you to maintain control over the research process and to control over the research process and to maintain final control over the product.maintain final control over the product.

How do you respond?How do you respond?

Ilsley 2014

Autonomy and self-Autonomy and self-determination:Your turn!determination:Your turn!

Your research focus is to study members of Your research focus is to study members of the Ku Klux Klan.the Ku Klux Klan.

Does the mere act of eliciting, recording, Does the mere act of eliciting, recording, and publishing accounts strengthen the and publishing accounts strengthen the political position of that group? Should the political position of that group? Should the product be returned to your participants for product be returned to your participants for their interpretation of your reading?their interpretation of your reading?

Ilsley 2014

Justice: Whose side are we on?Justice: Whose side are we on?

Can you treat your participants equally?Can you treat your participants equally?

Can you remain Can you remain ““committed to developing an committed to developing an analysis which displays an equally sophisticated analysis which displays an equally sophisticated understanding of the behavior of both villains and understanding of the behavior of both villains and heroes—or heroines? (Dingwall, 1992)?heroes—or heroines? (Dingwall, 1992)?

While theory, writing and research are inseparable While theory, writing and research are inseparable and socially constructed(Denzin, 1997), the self-and socially constructed(Denzin, 1997), the self-conscious pursuit of the separation of fact and value conscious pursuit of the separation of fact and value is still a regulative goal.is still a regulative goal.

Ilsley 2014

Justice: Your turn!Justice: Your turn!

In a study of punk girls, you discover sexual and In a study of punk girls, you discover sexual and physical abuse by their boyfriends. Your response physical abuse by their boyfriends. Your response is to provide them with shelter information and is to provide them with shelter information and raise resources for those participants to leave their raise resources for those participants to leave their relationships.relationships.

Is your response and the driving political agenda Is your response and the driving political agenda consistent with your research intentions?consistent with your research intentions?

Ilsley 2014

Justice: Subject/Object DualismJustice: Subject/Object Dualism

In the previous case, the researcher viewed In the previous case, the researcher viewed the naturalistic method of the naturalistic method of ““going nativegoing native”” or or ““ being a fly on the wall being a fly on the wall””, or adopting any , or adopting any objectivist stance, as in conflict with objectivist stance, as in conflict with feminist ethnography. feminist ethnography.

How might an objectivistic stance lead to How might an objectivistic stance lead to scopophilia (voyeurism) or intellectual scopophilia (voyeurism) or intellectual tourism?tourism?

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How can you deal with the How can you deal with the ethical issues in your proposal? ethical issues in your proposal?

Some practical examples…Some practical examples…

Ease of entry and unobtrusiveness in Ease of entry and unobtrusiveness in qualitative research leads to a high qualitative research leads to a high probability of: a) venturing into private probability of: a) venturing into private spaces and b)misrepresenting oneself as a spaces and b)misrepresenting oneself as a member of the group.member of the group.

So…So…

Ilsley 2014

The researcher can expect to deal The researcher can expect to deal with the following ethical issues:with the following ethical issues:

Worthiness of the projectWorthiness of the project Informed consentInformed consent Benefits, costs, reciprocityBenefits, costs, reciprocity Honesty and trustHonesty and trust Privacy, confidentiality, and anonymityPrivacy, confidentiality, and anonymity Researcher integrity and qualityResearcher integrity and quality Ownership of data and conclusionsOwnership of data and conclusions Use and misuse of resultsUse and misuse of results Intervention and advocacyIntervention and advocacy

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Institutional Review Board (IRB) Institutional Review Board (IRB) ConsiderationsConsiderations

Informed consentInformed consent

Protected populations (children, Protected populations (children, correctional facilities, mental disability, correctional facilities, mental disability, etc.)etc.)

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Claims to Validity: Claims to Validity: Or what is Or what is reality and what does it have to do reality and what does it have to do

with ethical research?with ethical research? Various claims to Various claims to ““truth.truth.””

OneOne’’s claim to truth affects ones claim to truth affects one’’s research s research philosophy and mission.philosophy and mission.

Developing a research mission fosters Developing a research mission fosters ethical research.ethical research.

Ilsley 2014

Claims to ValidityClaims to Validity(modified from Wilber 1996)(modified from Wilber 1996)

SUBJECTIVE (I)SUBJECTIVE (I)

TruthfulnessTruthfulness

SinceritySincerity

IntegrityIntegrity

TrustworthinessTrustworthiness

OBJECTIVE (it)OBJECTIVE (it)

TruthTruth

CorrespondenceCorrespondence

RepresentationRepresentation

PropositionalPropositional

JustnessJustness

Cultural fitCultural fit

Mutual understandingMutual understanding

RightnessRightness

INTERSUBJECTIVE INTERSUBJECTIVE (we) (we)

Functional fitFunctional fit

Systems theory WebSystems theory Web

Structural-functionalismStructural-functionalism

Social Systems MeshSocial Systems Mesh

INTEROBJECTIVE (it)INTEROBJECTIVE (it)

INDIVDUAL

COLLECTIVE

INTERIOR-Left Hand PathsLeft Hand Paths EXTERIOR-Right Hand PathsRight Hand Paths

Ilsley 2014

Claims to ValidityClaims to Validity(modified from Wilber 1996)(modified from Wilber 1996)

SUBJECTIVE (I)SUBJECTIVE (I)

Research Question: What are my Research Question: What are my perceptions of the rain?perceptions of the rain?

Research: Autoethnography, Research: Autoethnography, Phenomenology, SemioticsPhenomenology, Semiotics

OBJECTIVE (it)OBJECTIVE (it)

Research Question: Is it raining?Research Question: Is it raining?

Research Design: Experimental, survey, Research Design: Experimental, survey, positivistic case studypositivistic case study

INTERSUBJECTIVE INTERSUBJECTIVE (we) (we)

Research Question: What is the Research Question: What is the meaning of rain for a Cubs game?meaning of rain for a Cubs game?

Research: Ethnography, Critical Research: Ethnography, Critical Ethnography, Narrative, Feminist, Ethnography, Narrative, Feminist, Queer, RaceQueer, Race

INTEROBJECTIVE (it)INTEROBJECTIVE (it)

Research Question: How does the rain Research Question: How does the rain affect voter turnout?affect voter turnout?

Research Design: Experimental, survey, Research Design: Experimental, survey, positivistic case studypositivistic case study

INDIVDUAL

COLLECTIVE

INTERIOR- InterpretiveInterpretive EXTERIOR-ObjectiveObjective

Ilsley 2014

Implications for ResearchImplications for Research

Be a good consumer of research.Be a good consumer of research.

Understand your own constructions of truth.Understand your own constructions of truth.

Create a research philosophy or mission. It Create a research philosophy or mission. It may parallel other professional missions, may parallel other professional missions, e.g., teacher, therapist.e.g., teacher, therapist.