Undertaking research is complex and can be difficult. You may encounter new situations and contexts where you may not be sure of the best way to act. Ethics are a set of moral principles that can help to guide you and to ensure that throughout your research you are giving careful consideration to the rights, wellbeing and dignity of people involved in your activities.
Ethics is a rehearsal for research.
Good research starts with ethics and builds the research approach around this, not the other way around (building the research approach then figuring out how to make it ethical). Spending time thinking and planning offers a rehearsal for the research and provides the opportunity for you to think about possible scenarios before they happen. Research is a relationship based on trust.
We make ethical decisions every day. Throughout the research process it is important to recognise that your participants are sharing their time and expertise, and this is a gift to you as a researcher.
How to cite: Reay, S. D., Nakarada-Kordic, I., Khoo, C., Craig, C., Wilson, D., & Kayes, N. (2024). Designing Ethical Research: A framework for working with individuals, groups & communities. DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/8ZSCY. Retrieved from osf.io/8zscy
Complete this first step to help you unpack what are the appropriate processes you need to consider for engaging with people and communities in your research.
This section will help you figure out whether this is the right research to do and that you are the right person to be doing it.
This section is to help ensure you have a good rationale and justification for your research. What is the significance of this research and the intended impact?
This section looks at the recruitment stage of the research process and helps you design this in ethically appropriate ways.
This section looks at the data collection stage of the research process and helps you design this in ethically appropriate ways.
This section looks at the data analysis stage of the research process and helps you consider how to analyse your data in ethically appropriate ways.
This section asks you to consider how you will disseminate your research in ethically appropriate ways for greatest impact.
