6 Summary of Session 2

Planning ethical research

In this session you have considered the many people involved in research who can both inform the research and potentially benefit from it. This places a responsibility on the researcher to be as informed as possible about potential participants’ concerns (including those potentially excluded) in the study context when planning and designing their study. This shows how decisions about research design are linked to ethical considerations to ensure a study is justified.

A researcher should be able to present a balanced argument for why their study should be considered worthwhile. This includes stating clearly why they have a justifiable basis on which to proceed with their research requests and how they have considered possible risks of harm and mitigated against these.

In Session 3, you will think further about the ethical obligations a researcher has when planning their research. By thinking about the research plans from different stakeholder perspectives, a researcher can anticipate additional possible issues, consider alternatives and make responsible and respectful decisions. This will help researchers to negotiate with gatekeepers for permission to access a context and approach potential participants for their informed consent/assent.

In the next session you will be thinking about issues that arise as researchers move into their studies, either in the field or as part of desk-based research.

You can now go to Session 3.