What characterises research ethics?
It’s an ongoing process
- before starting
- during data collection
- during analysis and writing
-> constant reflect
At which level (instances) should you reflect on research ethics?
- With research interlocutors
- Among researchers
- Among scientific community
What are the different ethical stances currently in scientific research?
- Universalism
- Situational Ethics / principled relativism
- Consequentialism
Why was Humphrey’s Tearoom experiment (1970) controversial?
- People didn’t know they were being studied: no informed consent
- Humphrey was doing harm by publishing the findings
What are the principles of the Code of Ethics from the American Anthropological Association (AAA)?
- Do no harm
- Be open and honest
- Obtain informed consent and necessary permissions
- Weigh competing ethical obligations, due collaborators and affected parties
- Make your results available
- Protect and preserve your data
- Maintain ethical and professional relationships
What is the implication behind the existence of multiple codes of ethics by diverse ethics committees (e.g., AAA, EASA, ABV, ASA)?
Lots of interpretation
-> need of constant reflection
When can there be harm to participants?
- During data collection
- During writing
In what way may there be harm to the discipline of Anthropology?
- Credibility of scientific research
- Responsibility to future researchers
- Research fatigue
What is the responsibility of anthropological researchers towards future researchers?
Maintaining relationships with communities intact for future research
How do you confirm research participants give informed consent?
Participants
- are informed
- give consent in written or verbal (recorded) form
- can withdraw
What kind of difficulties can you encounter in obtaining informed consent?
- from groups, public spaces
- limitations of understanding
- for digital ethnography
- multiple interlocutors involved (who you may haven’t met and who are not aware of your research)
How do you confirm transparency in your research?
- from participant’s interpretations
- communicate your role as researcher
- “Be open and honest regarding your work” (AAA Code of Ethics)
How can you indirectly remind people you’re a researcher throughout your field work?
Take field notes in front of them
What is the universalist view on ethics in social research?
Ethical rules should never be broken
- it’s morally wrong to violate ethical principles
- it damages social research
Who is associated with universalism in the ethics of social research?
- Erikson
- Dingwall
- Bulmer
What are the arguments of situation ethics (or principled relativism)?
- The end justifies the means: e.g., covert observatio may be essential to relevant research
- No choice: “sometimes we may not have a choice but to mislead if we want to investigate” our subject matter
-> flexibility in ethical decision-making
rather than ‘anything goes’
Who is associated to situation ethics (principled relativism)?
- Good (1996)
- Fletcher (1966): coined ‘situation ethics’ / ‘principled relativism’
What does deontological ethics argue?
Certain acts are right or wrong in and of themselves.
What does consequentialist ethics argue?
We should be guided by whether the consequences of an act are right or wrong.
Which type of ethics tend to prevail on ethical issues in social research?
Deontological ethical arguments (vs consequentialist)
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Philosophy of Science31
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Research Strategies & Designs13
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Operationalisation6
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Research Ethics20
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Ethnography and Participant Observation10
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Participant Observation and Fieldnotes17
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Qualitative interviews23
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Sampling11
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Quantitative interviews and Statistics14
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Analysis & Grounded Theory16
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Mixed methods & Presenting your Research16
