Insider Research: Issues and Dilemmas Dr Alan Floyd

Identifying the problem An increasing awareness in recent years of the moral and ethical issues surrounding educational research minimising potential physiological/psychological/emotional harm to participants, ensuring that informed consent is gained from the participants before embarking on the research ensuring anonymity of the participants throughout the process. significant growth in the ethical regulation of social science research in the UK

Identifying the problem All research has implications for those involved, both directly and indirectly Ethical judgements in educational research cannot be generalised but need to be made in relation to the context within which the study takes place However, insider research increases ethical implications many of the ethical issues and dilemmas that arise when undertaking insider research are not covered or thought out fully during the ethical review application

Insider Research Cultural knowledge Privileged information/prior knowledge of participants Enabling/constraining? Insider/outsider?

Ethical Review Process A bureaucratic undertaking which often ‘represents the practice of research as an ordered, linear process with objective principles/rules that inform/direct ethical decision making and moral action’ (Halse and Honey 2007, 336) Roots in medical research Doesn’t acknowledging the more nonlinear and ‘messy’ process which typifies educational research Danger of “ticking the box” rather than continually engaging with ethical issues throughout and beyond

Ethical principles Should be adhered to throughout study and beyond insider researcher’s moral integrity paramount

External and Internal Ethical Engagement External and internal confidentiality (Tolich, 2004) External and internal ethical engagement (Floyd and Arthur, 2012)

Ethical Engagement External superficial, easily identifiable ethical issues, such as informed consent and anonymity, which insider researchers attend to by submitting their application for ethical approval to their institution’s internal review board (the tip of the ethical engagement iceberg).

Ethical Engagement Internal deeper level ethical and moral dilemmas that insider researchers have to deal with once ‘in the field’; the below surface, murky issues that arise during and after the research process

Internal and External Ethical Engagement

Examples - Ongoing relationships Cannot ‘unhear’ Personal information – personal stories ‘Off the record’ Career decisions!

Examples – Insider Knowledge ‘You know what it’s like’ ‘You know what s/he’s like’ Very different versions of the same narrative

Examples - Insider’s professional and research roles Tensions Us and them Unwelcome critical perspectives of Institution

Examples - Anonymity Institutional anonymity? Participants Insider confidentiality (Tolich, 2004)

Discussion/Questions/Examples from group? www.open.ac.uk