Making Sense of Ethics in Engaged Research - A Simple Guide for Non-Academic Researchers

Research ethics can sound like something that only researchers or scientists in a university need to care about. But at its core ethics is simply about treating people well, being honest and transparent about what you are doing, and protecting those with whom you are carrying out your research, in this case community research. This short guide covers three main concepts that come up more often than others: consent, confidentiality and positionality. Here we try to explain each concept shortly, why it matters for organisations carrying out engaged research and what it looks like in practice.  

Consent is about people being able to freely decide to take part, know what they're agreeing to, and be able to say no — or to stop — at any point. Informed consent means the people you're carrying out research with, in this case the community, understand what they're agreeing to — and have genuinely chosen to take part in this.  This matters because power is rarely equal in community research. If you're an organisation that also provides services or helps people in need, they may feel they can't say no. Being explicit about their freedom to do so is essential. Here are some of the ways to practice good consent:

• Explain the purpose of your research in plain language before you start 

• Tell people how their information will be used and who will be able to see it 

• Make it clear that participation is voluntary and they can withdraw at any time 

• Don't make consent feel like a condition that participants need to fulfill to receive your services 

• Offer a written record of what was agreed that is useful for both parties 

Confidentiality is about how you handle what people tell you. While carrying out engaged research where communities are involved, it requires particular care. Anonymity and confidentiality are related concepts but not the same. Anonymity is about not knowing who someone is and confidentiality means protecting their identity in the processing of their information. Some practical ways to maintain confidentiality are: 

• Store interview notes, recordings and transcripts securely and with limited access 

• Use pseudonyms when writing up findings of your research 

• Be careful with quotes - even anonymised quotes can identify people when working with small communities 

• Delete identifiable data when it's no longer needed, based on when the legal retention period expires 

Positionality is the least familiar of the three concepts, but it's just as important as others. It refers to who you are as a researcher, your background, your relationships, your role and how that shapes what you look for, what you notice, and how people respond to you. In engaged research, this is of critical importance. For example, if you come from the same community you're researching, this can bring valuable input for the research but also add responsibilities towards the community. If you come from outside it, you bring in different drawbacks. Being aware of your positionality and reflecting on it means you are being honest about the conditions under which the research results were produced. This is all about being honest about your findings, which in turn can make your work more credible.  

Nikita Sharma - ECSA

Relevant Literature Used for the concepts above  

• Wiles, R., Crow, G., Heath, S., & Charles, V. (2007). The management of confidentiality and anonymity in social research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 10(5), 417–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645570701622231 

• Alderson, P., & Morrow, V. (2011). The ethics of research with children and young people: A practical handbook. SAGE Publications. 

• Berger, R. (2015). Now I see it, now I don't: Researcher's position and reflexivity in qualitative research. Qualitative Research, 15(2), 219–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468794112468475