1. 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

2. SECRECY IS A FACT OF LIFE SECRECY RESPECTS PEOPLE
SECRECY IS ESSENTIAL TO GAIN ACCESS TO SENSITIVE GROUPS AND SENSITIVE AREAS OF RESEARCH

3. 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.