Lecture 7 - Research Ethics, Reflexivity & Positionality

Question 1

Informed consent

Answer 1

• Demonstrate that you have received consent from data subjects in order to process their personal data
• Personal data refers to any information that can be traced back to a person. E.g. name, address/location, ethnicity/race/religion, health status.
• Consent must be voluntary
• The information on what the consent was given for must be recorded. This allows you to show that people have been properly informed and that they have given their consent for this specific situation.
• Participants always have the right to withdraw consent

Question 2

Anonymity

Answer 2

Anonymity refers to the assurance that participants are not individually identified by distinguishing or withholding their personal characteristics. For a specific person, all data that can be traced back to them (such as name, address, etc.) must be deleted or anonymised. It is important to avoid collecting personal data or anonymising such data.

Question 3

Confidentiality

Answer 3

• Any information relating to the private sphere of a person that they wish not to be shared with others is considered confidential.
• Confidentiality entails an obligation on the part of the researcher to ensure that any use of information obtained from or shared by human subjects respects the dignity and autonomy of the participant, and does not violate the interests of individuals or communities.

Question 4

Positionality

Answer 4

• Positionality: Researcher’s worldview and standpoint in conducting research (incl. social and political contexts).
• A researcher’s position affects what they study, how they conduct research, and how they interpret results.
• It is about the researcher’s relationship to participants, questions posed and the role they choose within the study
• It involves how researchers see themselves and are perceived by others (e.g. insider vs. outsider, powerful vs. powerless).

Question 5

Reflexivity

Answer 5

• The researcher examines their own positionality and makes it known
• Reflexivity enhances the trustworthiness of the findings by accounting for the researchers’ values, beliefs, knowledge, and biases.