Negotiating Ethical Issues in Social Research
- When?
- Thursday 30 May 2013, 9.30am to 16.30pm
- Where?
- University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
- Open to:
- Public, Staff, Students
- Speaker:
- Prof. Rachel Brookes & Dr Kitty te Riele
- Admission price:
- varies according to status
- Admission information:
- apply using the online application form
- Refreshments:
Tea/coffee and lunch provided
Ethical issues need to be addressed at all stages of a research project, from design to dissemination, and given serious critical consideration by all researchers, irrespective of whether they are postgraduate students, practising teachers or seasoned academics. This one-day course will explore, in detail, the range of ethical issues that may arise at all stages of a research project – from formulating the initial design to disseminating the findings to interested parties. It will provide insights into a range of principles that may underpin ethical decision-making, and the legal and regulatory contexts within which researchers now have to operate. Participants will explore many of ethical dilemmas researchers can face, and discuss the various ways in which such dilemmas can be resolved. The course will have a strong practical focus, and is suitable for those undertaking qualitative research across the range of social sciences. Participants will be encouraged to bring along an example of an ethical dilemma from their own research, in relation to design, data collection, or analysis and reporting.
Course outline
09.30-10.00 Registration
10.00-10.30 Introductions and group activity – ‘What do you hope to get out of today’s session?’
10.30-11.15 Exploring ethical principles
11.15-11.30 Break
11.30-12.00 The regulatory and legal context
12.00-12.45 Designing an ethical research project
12.45-13.30 Lunch
13.30-15.00 Collecting data ethically
15.00-15.15 Break
15.15-15.45 Small group discussion: responding to ethical challenges
15.45-16.15 Analysing and reporting research: ethical dilemmas
16.15-16.30 Concluding session and opportunity to ask questions
Staff biographies
Rachel Brooks is Professor of Sociology and co-editor of Sociological Research Online. She has carried out a wide range of research projects on different aspects of education, with a particular focus on higher education and lifelong learning. She has published six books and over 35 articles across the disciplines of education, sociology and social policy. Most recently, her research has focussed on: international student mobility; the funding of higher education; and a cross-national comparison of the experiences of university students with parental responsibilities. Her empirical work has given her experience of using a diverse range of research methods, both qualitative and quantitative. Rachel also has a strong interest in research methods and, in particular, the ethical issues encountered by social researchers. She co-authored the research methods text, Researching Young People’s Lives (Sage, 2009), and has recently co-edited a book on Negotiating Ethical Challenges in Youth Research (Routledge, 2012) with Kitty te Riele. She is also guest-editing special issues of two journals (Young and Youth Studies Australia) which focus explicitly on ethical issues in youth research (again, this is with Kitty te Riele).
Kitty te Riele is Principal Research Fellow in the Victoria Institute for Education, Diversity and Lifelong Learning, at Victoria University in Australia. She researches educational policy and practice for disadvantaged young people, with a particular focus on alternative education initiatives. Her research has involved students, teachers and community members as participants. Kitty has supervised doctoral research students from both Australia and Hong Kong on research projects in primary, secondary and tertiary education. She has published 2 books, 10 book chapters and 10 refereed journal articles, as well as contributing to practitioner forums to disseminate research findings. She has taught professional ethics for pre-service teachers and has experience as an active member of faculty and university human research ethics committees. Her most recent book Negotiating Ethical Challenges in Youth Research (Routledge, 2012) is co-edited with Rachel Brooks. They are also guest-editing two special journal issues (Young and Youth Studies Australia) focused on research ethics.