1 Becoming an ethical researcher
How do you become an ethical researcher? Are there guidelines? Is it obvious, or are there more nuanced issues to take into account?
This course will help you think through why ethics always matter, whatever level of research you are considering.
Most professional researchers seek ethical clearance formally from a university ethics board. If you are researching independently, you still have a duty to plan ahead, comply with safety guidelines, discuss any problems with stakeholders in the research context and, ideally, a supervisor or interested peer. You also need to be alert to changing contexts and their implications for your research.
Activity 1 What constitutes ethical decision-making?
Watch the following 1 minute 52 second video clip and consider the prompts below.
Channel 4: The Secret Life of Kids: 5 Year Olds [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] (open the video in a new tab or window by holding down Ctrl [or Cmd on a Mac] when you click on the link).
Think about:
- What is motivating the children?
- What is influencing the children?
- How are the children going about the process of decision-making?
Discussion
Just like the children shown in the experiment in the video clip, deciding what to do is not just about following someone else’s rules, but about developing a strong ethical sense, so that you can judge ethics in context.