Negotiating access, ethics and the problems of ‘inside’ research

Researchers have to ask permission to have access to an institution, an organization or to materials. People will be doing you a favor if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide.

Teachers, administrators, parents and keepers of documents will have to be convinced of your integrity and of the value of the research before they decide whether or not to cooperate.

At an early stage, permission to carry out an investigation must always be sought. As soon as you have an agreed project outline and have read enough to convince yourself that the topic is feasible, it is advisable to make a formal, written approach to the individuals and organization s concerned, outlining your plans.

If you are carrying out an investigation in connection with a diploma or degree course, say that is what you are doing. If you feel the study will probably yield useful or interesting information, make a particular point of that.

Ethical guidelines and protocols Many organizations, such as hospitals and university department involved in research with human subjects will have ethics committees which have responsibility for ensuring that any research proposals conforms to approved principles and conditions

Different types of codes of practice or protocols require researchers to ensure that participants are fully aware of the purpose of the research and understand their rights.

Some are designed to be read out at the start of interviews, explaining that participation is voluntary, that participants are free to refuse to answer any questions and may withdraw from the interview at any time. Many promise confidentiality and anonymity, buy it may be more difficult to fulfill such promises than might at first have been thought.

Subjects should never be expected to sign any protocol form unless they had time to read and consider the implications. All researchers will be aiming at the principle of ‘informed consent’ which requires careful preparation involving explanation and consultation before any data collecting begins.

Informed consent form Huang Yu-Hsiu Department of Educational Studies University of York INFORMED CONSENT FORM for participation in research The purpose of this document is to make explicit the nature of the proposed involvement between the researcher and the person agreeing to supply information (the participants), and to record that the research subjects understand and are happy with the proposed arrangements. The researcher The research in charge of this study is Mphil/Ph.D. student Huang Yu-Hsiu in the Department of Educational Studies, University of York. The research The purpose of the research is to investigate the impact of ICT, ideology, and culture on women’s language learning. What participation in the study will involve Participants will be asked to grant one focus group up to an hour duration. The focus group will be recorded on audiotape. It is understood that the participants are free to decline to answer any question, to terminate the discussion at any time and to require any section of the recording be deleted.

Use of the Data The aim will be eventually to present the research, along with data collected in other parts of the study, in appropriate contexts, academic and professional, through publications, conference presentations, teaching and so on. If so requested the researcher will refrain from using data that the subject considers sensitive. The participants will be given copies of any publications based on the research. Anonymity of participants All information acquired will be treated as confidential. Unless specifically agreed otherwise, references in publications, talks etc, to particular jobs, organisations, individuals etc. will be anonymised and features might make identification easy will be removed. Declaration by the research subject: I have read and am happy with the arrangements as set out above. Signature of participants Researcher’s signature Date

Blaxter et al (1996) summarize the principles of research ethics as follows: Research ethics is about being clear about the nature of the agreement you have entered into with your research subjects or contacts. This is why contracts can be a useful device. Ethical research involves getting the informed consent of those you are going to interview, question, observe or take materials from. It involves reaching agreements about the uses of this data, and how its analysis will be reported and disseminated. And it is about keeping to such agreement when they have been reached.

A code of ethical practice makes researchers aware of their obligations to their subjects and also to those problem areas where there is a general consensus about what is acceptable and what is not.

Negotiating access, ethics and the problems of ‘inside’ research checklist 1. Clear official channels by formally requesting permission to carry out your investigations as soon as you have an agreed project outline. Check regulations regarding ethical guidelines and protocols. 2. Speak to the people who will be asked to cooperate. Getting the management’s permission is one thing, but you need to have the support of the people who will be asked to give interviews or complete questionnaires.

3. Maintain strict ethical standards at all times. Consult your supervisor if you become concerned about the way the research is developing. 4. Submit the project outline to the head/principal, senior officers, or ethics committee, if necessary. List people you would like to interview or to whom you wish to send questionnaires and state conditions under which they study will be conducted.

5. Decide what you mean by anonymity and confidentiality. Remember that if you are writing about ‘the head of English’, and there is only one head of English, the person concerned is immediately recognizable. 6. Decide whether participants will receive a copy of the report and/or see draft or interview transcripts There are cost and time implications. Think carefully before you make promises.

7. Inform participants what is to be done with the information they provide. Your eyes and those of the examiner only? 8. Prepare an outline of intentions and conditions under which the study will be carried out to hand to participants. Even if you explain the purpose of the study and the conditions/guarantees verbally, participants may forget.

9. Be honest about the purpose of the study and about the conditions of the research. If you say an interview will last ten minutes, you will break faith if it lasts an hour. If you are conducting the investigations as part of a degree or diploma course, say so. 10. Remember that people who agree to help are doing you a favor Make sure you return papers and books in good order and on time. Letters of thanks should be sent, no matter how busy you are.

11. Never assume ‘it will be all right’. Negotiating access is an important stage in your investigation. If you are an inside- researcher, you will have to live with your mistakes, so take care. 12. If you have doubts about the ethics of your research, consult your supervisor and decide what action to take.

A word of warning. If at some time in the future, colleagues or other research workers ask you for cooperation with a project, would you be willing to give the same amount of time and effort as you are asking for yourself? If not, perhaps you are asking too much.