1. Insider Research: Issues and Dilemmas
Dr Alan Floyd

2. 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

3. 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

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

5. 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

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

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

8. 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).

9. 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

10. Internal and External Ethical Engagement

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

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

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

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

15. Discussion/Questions/Examples from group?