Human research ethics Greg Downey Department of Anthropology Faculty of Arts Ethics in research design and methods General issues

Basic principles Ethics are professional, not moral. Ethics are designed to protect all involved (subjects, researcher, community, university). Protect the safety, integrity, liberty and interest of participants (including researcher). Founded on respect for and gratitude toward those who make our research possible.

Five principles Informed consent. Protection from harm. Protection from exploitation. Confidentiality (anonymity). Protection of research integrity.

Principles not what we might think... Although informed, written consent is the gold standard, there may be good reasons for accepting other procedures. Question of literacy, possibility of identifying individuals, reasonable expectation of anonymity... Risks need to be considered and balanced against the importance of the research and likely outcomes. Research need not be ‘risk-free.’ Question of the outcome of the research needs to be taken seriously. If there is nothing to be gained for the participants, they cannot be expected to bear much risk or other burden. Confidentiality v. anonymity. Changing names & identifying information, even preserving anonymity in notes, but problems of verification and possibility of seeking notoriety. Research integrity protected against good will of researcher & conflict of interest.

Research ethics review Procedures of the Ethics Review Committee (Human ethics)

Things to keep in mind... Researchers get through this ALL THE TIME... Universities are in the business of research, including IMPROVING review processes. Do not be pre-traumatized or put on defensive by long-obsolete experiences. Review boards care more about what you DO than about what you THINK. Corollary: They do not care about internecine disciplinary conflicts, theoretical complexities, or socio-political intellectual pseudo-activism... Ethics review is now more of a dialogue than a one-shot, yeah-or-nay application for approval. Unless project is really simple ethically, you will likely have to respond to queries -- give yourself time.

How to run into the most trouble possible... Be vague, especially about what you will do... Start off defensive; assume that you will be misunderstood and actively thwarted. Be aggressive & self-righteous; let them know that you suspect they know nothing about ethics & that you are incensed to be reviewed. Exaggerate the drama & danger of project and then say there are no risks. Procrastinate and then flip out when a committee of 20 cannot move with lightening speed.

Getting the forms hers/ethics/human_ethics Get in through the ‘Research’ section. Look for ‘Ethics’ and then ‘Human Ethics’ on the side menus. Download only what you need (read instructions). The long form is ridiculous with all the appendices.

Project description From p. 26

Project description Greatest pitfall for many in Arts seems to be the ‘under-description’ of our methods. Problem is two-sided: –Committee demands greater specificity than is sometimes possible or customary. –Some scholars are obdurate in not thinking through research practice. You WILL NOT be approved without questions if you are doing interviews, etc. –The exercise can be extremely helpful.

Risks, psychological & other Also asks about concealment, From p. 8

Risks, psychological & other Balance by public interest, From p. 10 Goal is not no risk, but appropriate risk given ends & that risk be addressed.

Informed consent From p. 20

Informed consent From p. 21

Informed consent From p. 22

Privacy From p. 17 Page includes section about feedback

Privacy From p. 17

Recruitment From p. 13

Recruitment From p. 14

Recruitment From pp

Criminal activity From p. 10

Ethics summary Focus on practical issues and clarity of procedures. Concentrate on risks to subjects and researcher. Informed consent is a principle, not a one-size-fits-all process. Special issues with those needing protection: children, disabled, minorities, Aborigines, refugees... Reciprocity & public interest. Confidentiality & anonymity. Responsibility to report crime. Thesis is a public document.

Questions: ethics or communication? Thanks for your attention!