DECEPTION Telling a lie Telling only part of the truth Not telling the whole story Is deception justified, in the interests of: Public good Preventing biasing the respondents Enabling natural behaviour to be observed Protecting confidentiality of a third party
SECRECY IS A FACT OF LIFE SECRECY RESPECTS PEOPLE SECRECY IS ESSENTIAL TO GAIN ACCESS TO SENSITIVE GROUPS AND SENSITIVE AREAS OF RESEARCH
SECRECY FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD ‘Behind the screen of formal ethics, timorous social scientists may excuse themselves from the risk of confronting powerful, privileged, and cohesive groups that wish to obscure their actions and interests from public scrutiny’. Mitchell, R. G. (1993) Secrecy in Fieldwork. London: Sage Publications, p. 54.