1.3 Ethical Issues
I have decided to only examine those ethical issues that are directly pertinent to the research proposal at this stage. Given the emergent nature of my research approach this is an area I need to continue to monitor as the research proceeds. To ensure that I continue to adhere to an ethical approach in the on-line aspects of the research I will use Bruckman's (2002) guidelines. This categorises my on-line research as likely to be at the lowest level of risk and needing minimal levels of permissions but also proffers advice on how to cope with emergent changes in this situation.
1.31 Do no harm
This is often quoted in qualitative research as a guiding ethical principal. However it seems to me to be too wide to be of any practical use to the action researcher. It needs to be broken down into smaller, more meaningful areas.
The main issue I have come up against within this broad remit is that of taking up the time, particularly leisure time, of participants. For many people working in schools time is a limited resource and it is important that involvement in my research does not add further stress to the already uneven work-life balance that I, and many of my colleagues, suffer from.
I think it is important to include oneself as a researcher in the audit of this category. I am a major participant in my own research and I should afford myself the same consideration as I do others. This is one of the reasons why I have included breaks in my research timetable. It is also one of the reasons I use 43Things where personal goals are given equal weight with my research goals.
1.32 Anonymity
In all forms of educational research in the UK it is the norm to offer anonymity to participants. This is clearly stated in the British Educational Research Association guidelines:
23. The confidential and anonymous treatment of participants’ data is considered the norm for the conduct of research. Researchers must recognise the participants’ entitlement to privacy and must accord them their rights to confidentiality and anonymity, unless they or their guardians or responsible others, specifically and willingly waive that right. In such circumstances it is in the researchers’ interests to have such a waiver in writing. Conversely, researchers must also recognise participants’ rights to be identified with any publication of their original work or other inputs, if they so wish. In some contexts it will be the expectation of participants to be so identified.
BERA (2004)
However we can see that there is a recognition that some participants may not wish to be anonymous and may prefer to be credited for any original work or contributions they may have made to the project. This is particularly true in action research where participants may in fact be co-collaborators with the researcher. This wish to be identified within a study applies in part to my participants. Some of the resources I provide were created by colleagues at the school where I work and they wish to have their work credited to them. The head teacher also wanted the school to be credited, in particular for the Hansel and Gretel collage. These credits mean that the school can be identified by anyone following the links to the resources I provide.
In fact the provision of total anonymity would be almost impossible. This accords with the work of Walford (2005) who argues that the promise of anonymity is often impossible to fulfil and may even be undesirable. He argues that when there is transparency of purpose and provision for participants to reply to things with which they disagree then not using pseudonyms for participants and research sites can add value to the study.
So whilst I will avoid identifying individuals by name or by personal details I may characterise them by job role. As my work context is a small school this may have led to individuals being identified, however, I am going to use input from people in other schools and also from the on-line environment. This should make it harder for individuals to be identified unless they wish to be so.
As a researcher I cannot remain anonymous and this too could lead to discovery of my work context. However, my research topic is unlikely to lead me into areas where this would become a huge issue.
1.33 Informed Consent
The giving of informed consent is important in all forms of research. The people who help with my research will all be told in advance how the data I collect from them will be used. In particular images of participants, identifiable voice recordings, or video images will not be used without negotiating consent.
In the past participants have asked that voice recordings in particular are not passed on but have been happy for transcripts to be used.
Informed consent is also a form of protection for the research because participants who enter into research with a realistic idea of what will be involved are less likely to withdraw their permission.
1.34 Issues particularly affecting practitioner/researchers
Ethical issues for practitioner/researchers include those of legitimate use of our time and that of others. In my school context it is important that my research does not distract me or those around me from my everyday practice of working with teachers and children. I covered this in my permissions conversation with my head teacher and was able to assure her that my research would be done in my own time.
McNiff (2005) argues that as action researchers we must always be aware of the need to give a good service in our practice and to tend to the responsibilities we have towards others. She sees practitioner action research with its strong emphasis on self -awareness and evaluation as a powerful tool for learning and improving one's practice and that these improvements will influence the practice of those around us leading to general improvements in our work context. Thus she views practitioner research as a particularly ethical expression of personal development.
1.35 Right of participants to give feed back
Most action research has a considerable element of participant feed back built into the study. It is very important that participants have a right to have their voice and opinions heard. Findings need to be shared with participants and they need to be given opportunity for clarification to ensure that the researcher has fully understood what they said and that they are not being misrepresented in any way.
This will partly be covered in interviews by my mirroring back to participants their own views during the interview. This technique of reflective listening, borrowed from counselling, is one that I'm familiar and comfortable using. I will also make my findings available for participants and provide opportunity for resolving any disputes over meaning or interpretation.
In focus groups I hope to employ the technique recommended by Dick(2005) where findings are analysed and consensus about what has been said is reached actually during the meeting.
The pilot exhibition will provide one opportunity for such checking and feed back but the process will be an on-going one.
The final exhibition will also provide opportunities for participants to give feed back and correct any misunderstandings.
[Forward to Pilot Exhibition report]
[Back to index]
I have decided to only examine those ethical issues that are directly pertinent to the research proposal at this stage. Given the emergent nature of my research approach this is an area I need to continue to monitor as the research proceeds. To ensure that I continue to adhere to an ethical approach in the on-line aspects of the research I will use Bruckman's (2002) guidelines. This categorises my on-line research as likely to be at the lowest level of risk and needing minimal levels of permissions but also proffers advice on how to cope with emergent changes in this situation.
1.31 Do no harm
This is often quoted in qualitative research as a guiding ethical principal. However it seems to me to be too wide to be of any practical use to the action researcher. It needs to be broken down into smaller, more meaningful areas.
The main issue I have come up against within this broad remit is that of taking up the time, particularly leisure time, of participants. For many people working in schools time is a limited resource and it is important that involvement in my research does not add further stress to the already uneven work-life balance that I, and many of my colleagues, suffer from.
I think it is important to include oneself as a researcher in the audit of this category. I am a major participant in my own research and I should afford myself the same consideration as I do others. This is one of the reasons why I have included breaks in my research timetable. It is also one of the reasons I use 43Things where personal goals are given equal weight with my research goals.
1.32 Anonymity
In all forms of educational research in the UK it is the norm to offer anonymity to participants. This is clearly stated in the British Educational Research Association guidelines:
23. The confidential and anonymous treatment of participants’ data is considered the norm for the conduct of research. Researchers must recognise the participants’ entitlement to privacy and must accord them their rights to confidentiality and anonymity, unless they or their guardians or responsible others, specifically and willingly waive that right. In such circumstances it is in the researchers’ interests to have such a waiver in writing. Conversely, researchers must also recognise participants’ rights to be identified with any publication of their original work or other inputs, if they so wish. In some contexts it will be the expectation of participants to be so identified.
BERA (2004)
However we can see that there is a recognition that some participants may not wish to be anonymous and may prefer to be credited for any original work or contributions they may have made to the project. This is particularly true in action research where participants may in fact be co-collaborators with the researcher. This wish to be identified within a study applies in part to my participants. Some of the resources I provide were created by colleagues at the school where I work and they wish to have their work credited to them. The head teacher also wanted the school to be credited, in particular for the Hansel and Gretel collage. These credits mean that the school can be identified by anyone following the links to the resources I provide.
In fact the provision of total anonymity would be almost impossible. This accords with the work of Walford (2005) who argues that the promise of anonymity is often impossible to fulfil and may even be undesirable. He argues that when there is transparency of purpose and provision for participants to reply to things with which they disagree then not using pseudonyms for participants and research sites can add value to the study.
So whilst I will avoid identifying individuals by name or by personal details I may characterise them by job role. As my work context is a small school this may have led to individuals being identified, however, I am going to use input from people in other schools and also from the on-line environment. This should make it harder for individuals to be identified unless they wish to be so.
As a researcher I cannot remain anonymous and this too could lead to discovery of my work context. However, my research topic is unlikely to lead me into areas where this would become a huge issue.
1.33 Informed Consent
The giving of informed consent is important in all forms of research. The people who help with my research will all be told in advance how the data I collect from them will be used. In particular images of participants, identifiable voice recordings, or video images will not be used without negotiating consent.
In the past participants have asked that voice recordings in particular are not passed on but have been happy for transcripts to be used.
Informed consent is also a form of protection for the research because participants who enter into research with a realistic idea of what will be involved are less likely to withdraw their permission.
1.34 Issues particularly affecting practitioner/researchers
Ethical issues for practitioner/researchers include those of legitimate use of our time and that of others. In my school context it is important that my research does not distract me or those around me from my everyday practice of working with teachers and children. I covered this in my permissions conversation with my head teacher and was able to assure her that my research would be done in my own time.
McNiff (2005) argues that as action researchers we must always be aware of the need to give a good service in our practice and to tend to the responsibilities we have towards others. She sees practitioner action research with its strong emphasis on self -awareness and evaluation as a powerful tool for learning and improving one's practice and that these improvements will influence the practice of those around us leading to general improvements in our work context. Thus she views practitioner research as a particularly ethical expression of personal development.
1.35 Right of participants to give feed back
Most action research has a considerable element of participant feed back built into the study. It is very important that participants have a right to have their voice and opinions heard. Findings need to be shared with participants and they need to be given opportunity for clarification to ensure that the researcher has fully understood what they said and that they are not being misrepresented in any way.
This will partly be covered in interviews by my mirroring back to participants their own views during the interview. This technique of reflective listening, borrowed from counselling, is one that I'm familiar and comfortable using. I will also make my findings available for participants and provide opportunity for resolving any disputes over meaning or interpretation.
In focus groups I hope to employ the technique recommended by Dick(2005) where findings are analysed and consensus about what has been said is reached actually during the meeting.
The pilot exhibition will provide one opportunity for such checking and feed back but the process will be an on-going one.
The final exhibition will also provide opportunities for participants to give feed back and correct any misunderstandings.
[Forward to Pilot Exhibition report]
[Back to index]