Ethics

General safeguarding guidelines for researchers working with children or young people published by Sheffield Hallam University include the following advice:

Two aspects need to be considered relating to anonymising research data:

Usually information will be provided to participants in written form and (where appropriate) to gate keepers prior to gaining signed consent. It may also be necessary to provide information orally to ensure that participants understand the implications of becoming involved in the research as fully as possible.

Initially the process of gaining informed consent appears to be a straightforward process, however when you begin to look at what this means in practice there are several issues to think about. Below are some questions to consider when you design the information sheet for the project and plan how you will manage the process of gaining informed consent:

Below are scenarios from actual research which provide you with opportunities to reflect on potential ethical issues that may arise in practice:

It is important to consider the possible ethical issues that may arise at each stage of your research when you are developing your research plan. It is important to consider both the potential impact on research participants and the context in which the research is taking place:

• during the process of gaining consent;

• at an early stage in the implementation of the research during which methods are being trialled and when your research questions are likely to develop and change;

• during the main data collection phase;

This section of the MESHGuide is designed help you with the practical implementation of ethical principles when designing your research by:

The research process is often associated with a cost for participants, most frequently in the form of the time that they have to give up in order to be involved in the research. Therefore it is important to consider how the research can ‘give back’ in some way to the participants, either directly or indirectly. There are potential difficulties associated with financial incentives for taking part in research, in particular where potential participants are under financial constraints.

Item 19 of the BERA (2011) Guidelines states that all researchers must ensure they comply with legal requirements in relation to working with school children or vulnerable young people and adults. The British Sociological Association Statement of Ethical Practice (2002) further states that ‘Researchers should have regard for issues of child protection and make provision for the potential disclosure of abuse’.

Under the UK Data Protection Act (1998) legal requirements exist which require that the identities and personal information of participants in a research project are protected, which has implications for how information is collected, stored and communicated. Key terms associated with the ethics of research are anonymity and confidentiality. The key difference between anonymity and confidentiality is that anonymity involves protecting the identity of a research participant, whereas confidentiality ensures the personal information of participants is protected.