Chapter

Ethical Issues
in Qualitative
Research

FOCUS YOUR READING

Researchers are responsible for ensuring that participants are not harmed, privacy is maintained, and the participants have provided informed consent.

Qualitative researchers do not have clear standards governing their activities.

Universities rely on review boards to decide which research activities to approve.

If it is not right do not do it; if it is not true do not say it.

Marcus Aurelius
A few years ago, I was doing a phenomenological study of teenage girls. I was interested in
learning how they coped with conflicting messages about doing well in school and not being seen
as too smart. The school system had approved my proposal, and I had also received permission
from the parents of the girls. I promised confidentiality to the girls. My plan called for me to do a
minimum of two interviews with each girl. I was well into my second interview with Susan when
the tears started to slowly roll down her cheeks. We were talking about how she wanted to do well,
but she sensed that the boys might not like her if she was too brainy. But then she switched topics and really opened up. She started to tell me about how her stepfather was getting too friendly
with her and had touched her in those special places. I knew then that I was on very sensitive

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ground. Fortunately, or perhaps not so, our scheduled time together was coming to an end. I completed the interview and told her I would be in touch. Now I was in quite a dilemma. What was
I to do? I had promised to keep all information confidential, but if her stepfather was sexually
abusing her, was I obligated to report it? And to whom? Was she telling me the truth or just trying
to con me? What would you do?
I tell you this story not to shock you but to get you thinking about the kinds of dilemmas in
which you might find yourself when doing qualitative research. Even though I had followed all procedures, received permissions, informed my participants, and promised confidentiality, I had
learned some information that troubled me. I felt I had a responsibility to Susan not to reveal the
confidence. I also felt I had a responsibility to her if she was being abused. However, I really did not
know whether the story she told me was true. Because I was not part of the school system and had
no supervisor there, I did not know what to do with the information.
This story illustrates a delicate balance you might face between trying to do what is right in
terms of maintaining privacy and, at the same time, recognizing that you have received information that might be damaging to the participant. Should you tell someone? If so, who? What about
the promise you made to maintain privacy?
You might not have thought about ethics while you were planning your research. Yet, recently,
much has been written on the topic. I want you to think about what kinds of issues you might face
and how you would handle them. In this chapter, I introduce you to some of the basic principles
associated with ethics and recent controversies concerning universities and monitoring of qualitative research plans. I know you will find the information challenging. I hope it will cause you to
think carefully about your research and about the people you study.
The scenario I described above is not something you will encounter on a regular basis. But
I began with it to point out that you might find yourself in a situation that is unexpected and for
which you will need to use judgment and good sense.
You know that much of qualitative research involves interactions with individuals. As a consequence of developing rapport with participants and getting them to trust you, you may find they
open up to you in very personal ways. When this happens, you face an ethical challenge. What
should you do with information you obtain that might be damaging to the individual or to others?
You might think that there are clear guidelines available to you as a researcher to assist you if
you encounter such challenges, but this is not the case. In your role as a teacher, counselor, administrator, or therapist, you are guided by a code of conduct or set of ethics established by licensing
boards or by the organization for which you work. In contrast, researchers do not have a formal
licensing body. A number of organizations offer guidelines about ethical standards, but many lack
an enforcement mechanism. The Ethical Standards of the American Educational Research
Association were adopted in 1992 and revised in 2000 to evoke voluntary compliance by moral
persuasion (American Educational Research Association, 2005). Many universities use review
boards to set and enforce standards. Many large school systems have guidelines.
In this chapter, I begin with definitions of ethical behavior. Next, I look at the major principles associated with the ethics of conducting research. I also address problems with the standards.
Following, I review some significant examples of unethical behavior in the general scientific community as well as examine inappropriate behavior in the field of qualitative research. I look next
at some special problems faced by qualitative researchers. I conclude with the issues of setting and
enforcing standards of behavior.

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 53

Did You Know

It was in 1906, when the Pure Food and Drug Act was passed, that regulations regarding the use of human subjects in research came into being.

Ethical Behavior: Definitions and Background

As I began this chapter, I asked myself, What is the meaning of ethics and ethical behavior?
Seems straightforward, doesnt it? In laymens terms, we all know what we mean when we say
ethics or ethical behavior. I think there are various commonsense responses to the question. It
means doing what is right. It means treating people fairly. It means not hurting anyone.
We deal with ethical issues on a daily basis. Should you report someone who cheats on an
exam or copies someone elses writing? Should you return that extra dollar given to you by a clerk
or keep a wallet found on the street? Should you give children additional time to finish an exam or
provide answers to difficult questions on a test?
Randy Cohen, who writes a weekly columnThe Ethicistfor The New York Times, provides
a popular and accessible vehicle for us to examine our belief system. Here is a recent problem and
his response; his tone is wonderful.

One of my grad students copied a term paper from the Internet, cutting and pasting from various uncredited sources. The universitys rules say expulsion or an F in the course is appropriate, but I proposed that she
search out the several dozen articles she used to compose her paper and write each author an apology. I
will mail the letters. My department chair thinks this is unethicala cruel and unusual punishment. You?
P. R., Houston
Unusual? Quite likely, but thats not necessarily a bad thing. A roomy and inexpensive Manhattan
apartment is unusual. Cruel? I think not. This cheater is even spared the torment of visiting the post
office to mail the apologies. But effectual? I doubt it. And that is key. Your task as a professor is to
reinforce a respect for academic integrity and to preserve it in your classroom. Im skeptical that
your method will do either (R. Cohen, 2007).

Cohens weekly column illustrates the publics need for guidance in handling issues they
face daily. What Cohen does so well is to present the issue and his response in a no-nonsense,
easy-to-understand manner. I do not know who sets his moral compass, but I suspect he does.
You can learn more about him through various National Public Radio (NPR) interviews
([Link] There is no Cohen around for the ethical dilemmas
researchers face. We need to rely on various guidelines from several sources. Ultimately, we need
to rely on our own moral compass.

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Here is a general definition: Ethical behavior represents a set of moral principles, rules, or
standards governing a person or a profession. We understand that to be ethical is to do good and
avoid evil.
This general definition is helpful as we try to understand research ethics. Below, I discuss
what I consider to be the major principles of ethical behavior associated with research that
involves human subjects, rather than research on animals. In particular, I am interested in qualitative research, although I offer you some background on unethical conduct in general.
Although research on human subjects has been conducted since the Middle Ages, codes of
conduct regarding appropriate researcher behavior did not emerge until the 20th century. It was
not until the 1960s, when federal government funding became available, that more researchers
became interested in school-based research. At first, there were no clear guidelines. But as more
research was conducted in schools, it became necessary for many institutions to establish review
boards. Universities followed suit and set up procedures to review student research.

Major Principles Associated With Ethical Conduct

The principles of ethical conduct that I identify below represent an amalgam gleaned from many
sources.
Do No Harm. Of all the principles associated with research ethics, I think it is safe to say
that this admonition is the cornerstone of ethical conduct. There should be a reasonable
expectation by those participating in a research study that they will not be involved in any
situation in which they might be harmed. Although this is the standard we are most concerned about violating, I think it is fairly safe to assume that the research you plan and
conduct will not be harmful to participants. This principle is often applied to studies
involving drugs or a treatment that might be harmful to participants. You might have read
about mistreatment during experiments. The 1971 Stanford Prison Experiment, in which
students played the role of guards and prisoners, is one example. When it was found that
the guards became increasingly sadistic, the study was terminated. Of course, the kind of
qualitative research you plan will not be of this nature. We have become well aware of the
potential damage caused by such studies. It is still important, however, for you to make
explicit any possible adverse effects of your research.
Bottom Line: It is best to safeguard against doing anything that will harm the participants in
your study. If you begin a study and you find that some of your participants seem to have adverse
reactions, it is best to discontinue the study, even if it means foregoing your research plan.
Privacy and Anonymity. Any individual participating in a research study has a reasonable expectation that privacy will be guaranteed. Consequently, no identifying information about the individual should be revealed in written or other communication. Further,
any group or organization participating in a research study has a reasonable expectation
that its identity will not be revealed. I would like you to think about privacy of two kinds:
institutional and individual. If you study an institution, how do you keep the information
you learn private? Suppose you take pictures of places in the institution and want to

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 55

include them in your written product. Suppose the institution you study is sufficiently
unusual that it can be identified from a description or from photographs. If you study
individuals, you are faced with other challenges. Suppose you have recorded interviews
and want to place a hyperlink in your report to the person being interviewed. Will the
voice be recognized? Suppose you collaborate with others and maintain files in a database
that can be accessed via the Internet, and others gain access. Suppose you use a computer
software program that has links to video and audio. How do you guarantee privacy in
these cases? Suppose you study individuals of some prominence, and their identities cannot readily be disguised. One idea to consider is to obtain a signed release authorizing you
to use such information in your research. With the availability of so much information on
the Internet (e.g., YouTube, Facebook), you are faced with challenges that were never considered when the original privacy statements were written. Conversely, you might find
yourself facing the opposite problem: Your participants may want their identities revealed.
They may want to be acknowledged in your written product. Perhaps they see it as their
15 minutes of fame. Can you reveal their identities?
Bottom Line: Remove identifying information from your records. Seek permission from the
participants if you wish to make public information that might reveal who they are or who the
organization is. Use caution in publishing long verbatim quotes, especially if they are damaging to
the organization or people in it. Often, these quotes can be located on the Internet and traced to
the speaker or author.
Confidentiality. Any individual participating in a research study has a reasonable expectation that information provided to the researcher will be treated in a confidential manner. Consequently, the participant is entitled to expect that such information will not be
given to anyone else. Think back to the case of Susan that I presented at the beginning of
this chapter. Although I had promised her confidentiality and I had gotten her to open up
to me, I now had to deal with information that might prove damaging to her or to others.
I chose to investigate the situation further to try to determine the truthfulness of her allegations. Fortunately, she eventually told me that she made the story up to get my attention.
During your research, you might learn a considerable amount of personal information
because many of the interviews you conduct will be open ended and may move in various
directions. As a researcher, you are in a situation that you control. If you sense an interview
might be moving in a personal direction, you might have to stop the interview and suggest
to the participant that she talk to a counselor or other trusted support person.
Bottom Line: It is your responsibility to keep the information you learn confidential. If you
sense that an individual is in an emergency situation, you might decide that you can waive your
promise for the good of the individual or of others. You need to be much more sensitive to information that you obtain from minors and others who might be in a vulnerable position.
Informed Consent. Individuals participating in a research study have a reasonable
expectation that they will be informed of the nature of the study and may choose whether
or not to participate. They also have a reasonable expectation that they will not be

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coerced into participation. On the face of it, this might seem to be relatively easy to follow. But if a study is to be done in an organization, individuals within that group (e.g.,
students, workers) might feel that they cannot refuse when asked. There might be pressure placed on them by peers or by superiors. Although the idea of informed consent
appears to be straightforward, there are situations in which informed consent may not
possible. For example, it is more difficult to obtain consent from minors or individuals
who do not have a clear understanding of written English or those who are mentally disabled or emotionally fragile. Another issue regarding obtaining informed consent is that
your research studybecause it is dynamic and subject to twists and turnsmight
diverge in a direction that causes participants to become uncomfortable or unwilling to
continue. Because of this, I believe that the consent people give in advance may not really
be informed. Recently, researchers have expressed concerns about studying people on
the Internet. I have read accounts of individuals who became angry that a researcher was
using their discussion board or Listserv for data collection. Whether you lurk in chat
rooms or on Listservs or you enter domains of YouTube or Facebook, you are exploring
Internet cultures. There is no general procedure to seek consent in these arenas.
Researchers are now beginning to explore ways of obtaining consent from such groups.
Bottom Line: Your responsibility is to make sure that participants are informed, to the extent
possible, about the nature of your study. Even though it is not always possible to describe the direction your study might take, it is your responsibility to do the best you can to provide complete
information. If participants decide to withdraw from the study, they should not feel penalized for
so doing. Second, you need to be aware of special problems when you study people online. For
example, one concern might be vulnerability of group participants. Another is the level of intrusiveness of the researcher. McCleary (2007) discusses many of these issues from the perspective of
social workers; many of these concerns can be transferred to educators.
Rapport and Friendship. Once participants agree to be part of a study, the researcher
develops rapport in order to get them to disclose information. I recall when Alice, a
student of mine from China, studied the wives of Chinese graduate students who had
relocated to a rural college campus. She found herself getting too close to the women she
studied. She was concerned about their language difficulties and problems they had
adjusting to Western society. Yet, as she became close to these women, she became sad
and frustrated that she couldnt do anything about their situation. She was somewhere
between rapport and a faked friendship. Duncombe and Jessop (2005) bring out issues
related to what they call faking friendship. From their feminist perspective, they suggest
that the interviewer might put herself in the position of being a friend so as to get participants to disclose more information than they really want to (pp. 120121). I think
there is a difference between developing rapport and becoming a friend.
Bottom Line: Researchers should make sure that they provide an environment that is trustworthy. At the same time, they need to be sensitive to the power that they hold over participants.
Researchers need to avoid setting up a situation in which participants think they are friends with
the researcher.

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 57

Intrusiveness. Individuals participating in a research study have a reasonable expectation

that the conduct of the researcher will not be excessively intrusive. Intrusiveness can mean
intruding on their time, intruding on their space, and intruding on their personal lives. As
you design a research study, you ought to be able to make a reasonable estimate of the
amount of time participation will take. I remember Marys study of senior female executives
with very busy schedules. She needed to make sure that her study would not intrude on their
work lives. She scheduled interviews at their offices and tried to limit her interviews to a
maximum of one hour. Intrusion into personal space might be an issue for some individuals; they may not want you in their homes or classrooms. You might have to negotiate a neutral location for a discussion. Although you may forgo some important information, the
trade-off is worthwhile. Invading personal lives is a very real problem when you are studying
the lives of others. Sometimes the conversation gets very personal. I recall a class in which we
were practicing interviewing techniquesgetting participants to open up and talk to each
other. One situation became quite sensitive and one of the class members began to cry. I
quickly ended the demonstration, but my eyes were opened to what can happen when rapport develops quickly and when participants have sensitive issues they wish to discuss.
Bottom Line: I dont think there are any easy answers here either. Experience and caution are
the watchwords. You might find it difficult to shift roles to neutral researcher, especially if your
field is counseling or a related helping profession.
Inappropriate Behavior. Individuals participating in a research study have a reasonable
expectation that the researcher will not engage in conduct of a personal or sexual nature.
Here, researchers might find themselves getting too close to the participants and blurring
boundaries between themselves and others. We probably all know what we mean by inappropriate behavior. We know it should be avoided. Yet, there are documented examples of
inappropriate behaviors between teachers and their minor students, between therapists
and their patients, and between researchers and their participants.
Bottom Line: If you think you are getting too close to those you are studying, you probably are.
Back off and remember that you are a researcher and bound by your code of conduct to treat those
you study with respect.
Data Interpretation. A researcher is expected to analyze data in a manner that avoids
misstatements, misinterpretations, or fraudulent analysis. The other principles I have discussed involve your interaction with individuals in your study. This principle represents
something different. It guides you to use your data to fairly represent what you see and
hear. Of course, your own lens will influence you. I am not suggesting that you strive for
an objective stance. I think that is more the province of traditional approaches to research.
Rather, I am pointing out the potential pitfalls of overinterpreting or misinterpreting the
data you collect to present a picture that is not supported by data and evidence.
Bottom Line: You have a responsibility to interpret your data and present evidence so that
others can decide to what extent your interpretation is believable.

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Data Ownership and Rewards. In general, the researcher owns the work generated.
Some researchers choose to archive data and make them available through databanks.
Questions have been raised as to who actually owns such data. Some have questioned
whether the participants should share in the financial rewards of publishing. Several
ethnographers have shared a portion of their royalties with participants. Parry and
Mauthner (2004) discuss this issue in their article on the practical, legal, and ethical questions surrounding archived data. They suggest that because qualitative data might be a
joint construction between researcher and respondent, there are unique issues related to
confidentiality, anonymity, and consent.
Bottom Line: In fact, most researchers do not benefit financially from their writing. It is rare
that your work will turn into a bestseller or even be published outside your university. But, if you
have a winner on hand, you might think about sharing some of the financial benefits with others.
Other Issues. As you plan your research, you might consider several additional principles
raised by some. Roth (2004b) talks about the politics of research application approval and how
those who make judgments about research applications are influenced by power and control.
The feminist perspective is concerned, to a much greater extent, with power, respect, and risk.
Others might take exception to this list. They state the main concern is the ethics of care for our
participants and that these traditional ethical standards may not always be appropriate.

Problems With the Standards

Enumerating the list of standards is one thing; monitoring and enforcement is another. Governing
bodies purport to be neutral and objective in these latter pursuits. However, some believe that
applying these criteria to qualitative research is difficult because the standards were originally
developed for scientific research. Universities differ considerably in the extent to which they apply
the criteria to qualitative research proposals. Many members of these boards have little or no experience with qualitative research. Canella and Lincoln (2007) suggest that regulatory boards create
an illusion of the ethical practice of research (p. 316). They suggest contradictory positions
between a regulatory agency, on the one hand, and a philosophical disposition, on the other
(p. 317). Their challenging paper introduces various complex issues. It seems clear to me that the
more dynamic and fluid the research, the more difficult it is for review committees to determine
whether the proposed research will meet the standards.
Here are some questions to consider.
Can a written proposal convey a sense of the research to such an extent that a review panel
can determine whether the standards will be met?
How is a review panel to judge a qualitative research proposal in which the researcher is
the instrument of research? In which questioning is fluid and dynamic, rather than fixed
and static? In which the researcher may modify the plan as she proceeds?
What happens when the standards are violated?
How does a review panel that represents the dominant culture at a university evaluate a
proposal that does not fit the usual mode? Feminist researchers, among others, are particularly sensitive to the politics of the review process.

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 59

You need to be aware of these potential pitfalls as you read the standards and think about
your own research plans.
It seems obvious that researchers should pay attention to the principles outlined above. At
this point in your reading, I think you will find it helpful to review some of the violations of these
principles. First, I look at a few examples of misconduct in the general field of scientific research.
Next, I highlight some of the cases in the field of qualitative research.

Alleged Misconduct in the

General Scientific Community
We would like to believe that all people behave in an ethical manner. In practice, we know this is
not true. From the politicians who take bribes, to the clergy who have inappropriate relationships
with their parishioners, to the teachers who change grades when pressured, there are all too many
examples of individuals who have behaved in unethical ways. While it is true that the vast majority
behave ethically, we are no longer shocked or surprised when instances of unethical or inappropriate behavior occur.
Individuals who work in the research field are no different from those in other fields. Most
behave ethically, but some do not. Here is an example of an experiment that went drastically astray.
The principle of Do No Harm was ignored, overlooked, or forgotten in what is known as the Tuskegee
Experiment. In 1972, details of this experiment run by the U.S. Public Health Service became known.
The experiment actually began in 1932, when about 400 poor black men with syphilis from
Tuskegee, Alabama, were identified for a study about the effects of penicillin on the disease. Even
when the drug proved to be a cure in the 1940s, treatment was withheld. The experiment continued
for 40 years, and not until the NAACP won a lawsuit in 1973 was some restitution paid. A public apology was finally delivered by President Clinton in 1997. This egregious example, in the name of scientific research, highlights many issues: Individuals without power or status can be mistreated for
political or economic reasons; treatment can be denied even when it is shown to be efficacious; government safeguards are not always effective. Several factors are especially troubling about this landmark case: The individuals studied were poor, black men; the study was funded and sanctioned by
the government; it took a lawsuit to bring the information to public awareness; the experiment lasted
for 40 years; and finally, a public apology to the men in the study and their families was not issued
until 65 years later. (For a full account, see National Public Radios 2002 description of these experiments at [Link]
Another principle of ethical behavior is related to data interpretation. You are probably
aware of admonitions to interpret data conservatively and not go beyond what the numbers or
facts show. Misleading statements are also to be avoided. But what about the researcher who falsifies or manufactures data? What strikes me as so distressing about the following two examples
is that the individuals involved were prominent: one a Nobel Prize winner and the other a
knighted British psychologist. In his 1992 book Impure Science, Bell wrote of the competition for
research funds from government and industry and how researchers have falsified data to obtain
or keep funding. The case of David Baltimore is especially interesting. As president of the
Rockefeller University in the early 1990s, Baltimore, a 1975 Nobel Prize recipient, was accused of
research misconduct and cover-up. The allegations were not proven, and Baltimore went on to
become president of Cal Tech and the 2007 president of the American Association of the
Advancement of Science. His coauthor was accused of fabricating data; the case ultimately went

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before the U.S. Congress, and she was barred from receiving grants for 10 years. In 1996, however,
the charges were dismissed. What seems clear to me is that high stakes, power, and influence may
lead to corruption or the appearance of corruption. Falsifying data or misrepresenting it may
seem minor when so much is at stake. For details about the case, read the compelling 1998
account by Kevles. Another example is that of renowned British psychologist Sir Cyril O. Burt.
Born in Stratford-upon-Avon in 1883, Burt attended Oxford, worked on intelligence tests, and
was chairman of the Psychology Department at University College in London. He was knighted
in 1946. Much of his research involved studies of identical twins, and he rose to prominence for
the conclusion that identical twins reared apart were closer in intelligence than nonidentical
twins reared together. It was not until after his death that others studied his data and concluded
that the data were falsified to advance his hypothesis. This case is not completely clear-cut, however, because others reviewed his diaries and did not find any evidence of misrepresentation.
Whether or not Burt falsified his data to support his conclusions is unknown. However, it is clear
that temptations are there to manipulate data.
While the examples cited are extreme, I bring them to your attention because the researchers
who were involved were considered preeminent in their fields. Rather than serving as role models
for those in the ranks, these people were alleged to have violated important ethical principles.
What seems clear to me from these examples is that when the stakes are high, our ethical compass
sometimes goes off kilter.

Misconduct in the Qualitative Research Arena

Qualitative researchers have their share of unethical conduct. One case that has recently come to
light concerns inappropriate behavior on the part of the researcher. Harry Wolcott, a longtime
ethnographer, wrote a case study of a Kwakiutl village and school in 1967, and he has written
extensively about qualitative research over the years. In 2002, he wrote about Brad, a young man
he studied and befriended. The Sneaky Kid and Its Aftermath chronicles his intimate and tumultuous relationship with Brad. We learned from Roths 2003 review that this book is actually a firstperson account of the sexual intimacy between the researcher and the research participant.
Subsequently, we learned that the young man beat up the researcher and set fire to his house (see
also Plummers 2004 review). That Wolcott continues to make contributions to the field of qualitative research is quite a puzzle to me. While Baltimore and Burt seemed to have weathered the
storms surrounding their alleged data falsification, Wolcott himself admitted to the behavior and
wrote about it publicly.
Another interesting case is that of Laud Humphreys. This case involves the principles of confidentiality and informed consent. During the 1970s, Humphreys acted as a lookout in a study of
homosexuals in public places. He took information about them, especially their license plate
numbers. Using this information, he later visited these men, saying they were selected for a random survey. While he violated the two principles mentioned above, some believe that the greatest
damage had to do with violation of the Do No Harm principle.
Tolich (2002) discussed issues regarding internal confidentiality. In particular, he talked
about confidentiality within connected groups. These groups might be families, couples, or mentors and apprentices. When various informants who are members of a particular group become

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 61

aware of what other insiders are saying, confidentiality might be compromised. Although Tolich
himself didnt violate codes of ethical conduct, he argued that institutional committees need to be
aware of internal confidentiality to the same extent that they are aware of external confidentiality.
What appears clear is that researchers may find themselves knowingly or unknowingly violating research codes of ethics. In this next section, I discuss special problems associated with
qualitative research and ethical conduct.

What Are the Special Problems

for the Qualitative Researcher?
Principles and theory are good, as far as they go. But it is now time for me to get practical. Id like
to consider several different kinds of research projects in which you might become involved. The
first issue concerns potential difficulties in maintaining privacy and keeping information confidential. This example comes from a study a student of mine conducted several years ago. Judy and
several of her colleagues had taken the initiative to start a preschool in a poor area in a large city
adjacent to the suburb in which they lived. They had worked for several years, raising funds and
getting the school operational. Data were gathered, primarily through interviews with the five
founders of the organization. She went through the appropriate channels to receive approval. Now,
some years later, I think about the potential ethical issues regarding this study. I see a possible
dilemma for Judy. While she had promised the organization privacy, it was common knowledge in
Judys community and the community in which the school existed that she had started this school.
When she published her findings, even though she disguised names and locations, how could it be
expected that many would not know which school and which leaders were interviewed? How could
she reasonably maintain privacy and confidentiality in this situation?
I suspect this might happen fairly often when case studies are conducted. Imagine that you
are located in a very remote area. If you study a particular school or classroom, it might be impossible to disguise the identity of the school. Is this a serious violation? Perhaps the problem only
arises if the results turn out to be negative in some way. If not, I think the researcher needs to take
extra precautions to try to avoid revealing identifying characteristics about the case.
Another student of mine designed a phenomenological study of the lived experiences of
families with autistic children. In 2008, as I write this chapter, the issue of autism dominates the
news. Estimates on the number of autistic children have risen dramatically. But in the year 2000,
when Paul conceived of this study, autism was not talked about very much. Those who had studied
the topic focused on the children, but Paul had another idea in mind. He wanted to study family life.
He was the president of a school for autistic children. His research involved studying the lived experiences of the families. His participants were recruited from the school he directed. When he wrote
his findings, he needed to disguise identifiable information about the school. In fact, those who
knew him were well aware of his role at that school. Pauls study is another example of problems of
maintaining privacy. A second issue with his study was how to ensure that participation was voluntary. And finally, because he planned to go into homes, he needed to make sure to avoid being
intrusive. I do not think participants were unwilling to be studied, but if they did not want to, I think
it might have been difficult for them to deny his request, given his relationship to the school. You
can see that because of Pauls position in the organization, families whose children were at the

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school might have felt that they could not say no. As I remember, however, Paul had quite the
opposite situation. Because he was the father of an autistic child, other families felt comfortable
opening up to him. Paul was able to avoid ethical dilemmas and instead presented a candid and
revealing picture of their lives. I remember Paul sitting in my office in awe of the cooperation he
received from these families and the insight he gained into their lives and his own.
These real-life examples should help you see that the divide between what is written on paper
and what you encounter is sometimes great. So much of qualitative research evolves as you proceed with data collection and analysis. Plans that you make in your office or at your computer in
the quiet of your own space may shift and turn as you proceed in the real world. As you learn about
being a qualitative researcher, you might find yourself facing many dilemmas. McGinn and
Bosacki (2004) supported the idea of addressing ethical issues in research courses. Here are some
questions you should think about.
How do you balance the need to respect those you study and not see them as just objects or
subjects? Much of experimental research talks about drawing random samples of subjects. These
nameless and faceless individuals are only there to serve as representatives of larger populations,
to which you will draw inferences. But qualitative research is not like that. In fact, that is why I keep
using the term participant rather than subject. That is by design. The people you study are real
people. Unless you are on the Internet, you will see them. You might even take a liking to them. You
might see their personal plights, as Alice did when she studied the wives of Chinese students. But
you need to be very cautious about getting too close to the people you study. You cannot save them
if they are sick. You cannot offer them counseling if they are troubled.
How do you deal with the politics of review boards? Roth (2004a) cited four fictional case
studies related to ethics, politics, and power. He argued, in fact, that he couldnt really write about
actual case studies because he would need institutional approval. He concluded that ethics and
politics are inseparable. You probably never really thought that research and politics were connected. As I sat at my computer in June 2008, I was reminded only too vividly of the discussions
concerning the gold standard of research studies (i.e., randomized double-blind experiments).
One writer on a qualitative Listserv suggests it is the qualitative research community that needs to
demonstrate the appropriateness and rigor of our designs to the larger community. So it is that
review boards struggle to determine how best to judge qualitative research proposals. You need to
be aware of this as you proceed.
Much of qualitative research involves observing individuals in their natural settings. You can
think of these observations as occurring in public spaces. I remember a student who studied how
students arranged their physical space in a large university library. She was interested in the extent
to which they exhibited open tendencies or closed themselves off by surrounding themselves with
books, coats, and papers. She did not obtain consent from these individuals because they were in
view of everyone. Maybe she was invading their privacy. You can imagine all kinds of public spaces
in which you might want to study people: people at sporting events, schoolchildren on a playground,
parents and children interacting at McDonalds. I have spent quite a bit of time observing discipline
strategies of young mothers as they interact with their children in various public spaces. I do not
think you need to obtain consent in these situations. If you approach the people you are studying,
they might think you are crazy. Anthropologists often traveled to exotic lands to study cultures other
than their own. Today, researchers are more likely to study Internet cultures. When you are in cyberspace, you dont necessarily know who else is there. And they may not know that you are there.

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I have mentioned special problems with regard to conducting studies on the Internet. We
know that some people resent others using their discussion groups or other communities as data
to be mined, as though the writers are not really people. Seeking permission is often problematic.
Sometimes you dont know who the people are. Other times, people report that they feel violated.
I think we have much more to learn about this.
Technology seems so wonderful. Writing our papers on computers seems to be the desired
approach. I cant imagine going back to a typewriter or a pad and pen. Yet, with these technological advances come so many responsibilities. Here are some things to think about when doing qualitative research. Many of us use videos, cell phones, or digital cameras to capture the environments
we study. But when you publish your study, how do you preserve anonymity when using video?
Prettyman and Jackson (2006) highlighted some important ethical questions. For example, how
do they guarantee anonymity when using videos and when linking data through a software
program that links audio and video in presentations? New technology lets you link quotes directly
back to data, which makes it increasingly easy to find where data come from.
You may wonder how you can possibly manage all these issues. In the next section, I provide
you with information about how many universities handle the research conducted by faculty and
students.

Setting and Maintaining Standards

As students, you are bound by the code of conduct and ethical standards imposed by your college
or university. Most colleges or universities have established Institutional Review Boards (IRBs).
An IRB is a committee whose job is to review, approve, and monitor research involving human
subjects. It is designed to provide critical oversight. Actually, IRBs are governed by a federal regulation under The Research Act of 1974. All institutions that receive federal funds, whether
directly or indirectly, require IRB approval for all research. When the legislation was passed,
research was considered to be of a biomedical or laboratory nature. As social science research has
moved away from the purely experimental, review boards have offered interpretations of the
rules. You can read examples of the interpretations, as well as some vignettes, at the National
Science Foundation (n.d.) Web site. IRBs wield considerable power within a university. It will be
your responsibility to prepare a research proposal in such a manner that an IRB will be able to
determine whether human subjects are protected from many of the violations mentioned earlier.
Many have developed comprehensive instructions and procedures for conducting research.
Typically, an IRB will ask you to prepare a research proposal explaining your study. In addition to preparing a proposal, the board will usually want you to prepare an informed consent letter
or form to be signed by all participants. Participation in a research study should be voluntary.
Typically, your research will involve either identifying an organization or group you wish to study
or identifying individuals who represent a particular group or have a particular characteristic. In
the first case, you might gain approval from the organization. However, you must also obtain
approval from individuals within the organization. Individuals should not feel as though they are
coerced and must participate in a particular study. This may seem straightforward, but the voluntary nature of participation needs to be stressed by you. On the other hand, you might be studying individuals with certain characteristics or traits. In such cases, you would identify them from
various sources and then seek their consent.

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Here are two examples that might help you see this more clearly. You plan to study educational
programs in an adult training facility. You seek approval from the director of the facility. He gives
his approval. All participants in the facility are volunteers. Everyone will have to complete an
informed consent letter. Or, you decide to investigate teacher interaction within several schools.
You receive approval from the school district and from the principals of the several schools. You
will still need to obtain signed informed consent letters from the individuals at those facilities.
If your study involves non-English speakers or those with certain disabilities that might make
reading difficult, a responsible adult would need to sign the consent.
In some cases, researchers choose an opt-out letter rather than an informed consent letter.
Such a letter would say something like this: We plan to conduct research at your school on the topic
of forming friendships. Your child might be chosen to participate. The time involved will be less
than one hour. If you do not want your child to participate, please sign the attached and return it
to the school office.
If your research involves studying people who are in public spaces, obtaining informed consent becomes quite tricky. I recall taking my class to study parent-child interactions in a large
supermarket. I instructed them to enter the grocery store, obtain a cart, and pretend to be shopping. They were then to find a parent and child together and surreptitiously follow them. We did
not get consent because we were in a public space. This entire class project backfired, however. The
store manager noticed me lurking at the front of the store, and he thought I was someone from the
central office observing him. Eventually, he came up to me and asked what I was doing. One of my
students came to me and told me that he had seen a shoplifter but did not confront him. In hindsight, I believe I should have notified the manager of what we were doing. Whether or not we need
to obtain informed consent to observe individual behaviors or listen to other peoples conversations is somewhat open to question.
Studying individuals on the Internet has also been the subject of some discussion. We can
think of the Internet as either public or private space. I do not believe that IRBs have come to a
clear decision on how to treat this kind of data. Increasingly, qualitative researchers have developed projects that involve studying individuals they encounter on the Internet. They might want
to study people on MySpace or YouTube, or they might want to study individuals who participate
in chat rooms. Whether this is public or private space is unclear. But when a researcher intrudes
into private space, resentment may occur. One member of a group said in anger: I certainly dont
feel . . . it is a safe environment . . . and I will not open myself up to be dissected by students or
scientists. Eysenbach and Till (2001) raised questions about privacy and informed consent. In
discussing informed consent, they talked about both passive and active research strategies.
Passive research might involve observing communication patterns. Obtaining permission is not
needed. In contrast, active research might involve more direct involvement of the researcher. They
cautioned that those on the Internet do not expect to be participants in research studies and
might even resent a researcher lurking in their online community. They offered two suggestions
for obtaining informed consent. First, they suggested sending an e-mail giving people the opportunity to withdraw from the list. Alternatively, they talked about asking individuals retroactively
if they want to withdraw from the analysis. They did not think obtaining permission from the list
owner is adequate. This is similar to getting permission from the head of an organization to have
people in the organization participate.

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 65

Researchers and institutional review boards must primarily consider whether research is
intrusive and has potential for harm, whether the venue is perceived as private or public
space, how confidentiality can be protected, and whether and how informed consent should
be obtained.
Eysenbach and Till (2001) also raised questions with regard to privacy. Quoting the exact
words of a participant in a newsgroup may violate privacy and confidentiality even if identifying information is removed. You might wonder how this is the case. They suggest that powerful search engines might enable someone to identify the original source, even if the
researcher is not able to. It is actually not so simple to distinguish between public and private
space.

Problems With Review Boards

It seemed so simple. Universities would establish boards to review research conducted by faculty and students. The boards would develop a set of standards for research. When IRBs came
into being in the 1970s, there was general agreement about what constituted solid scientific
research, so most boards adopted standards to monitor research of that type. But as I have discussed throughout this book, many types of qualitative research take a philosophically different position from traditional research. Many individuals who serve on IRBs are not trained in
this type of research and may find it inadequate. Many IRBs have been slow to change.
Hemmings (2006) added the point that there are different ethical frameworks and orientations
toward what she calls ethical principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice
(p. 12). Finally, Cannella (2004) suggested that qualitative researchers should become activists
with regard to such boards.
Because a qualitative research proposal often lacks specificity with regard to questions to be
asked or observations to be made, some boards find it difficult to determine whether violations
might occur. There is some controversy in the field as to whether, and in what ways, IRBs can
remain objective, while at the same time recognizing that qualitative research is, of necessity, fluid
and dynamic.
In fact, some lament that IRBs struggle with finding ways to accommodate qualitative
research modes, while at the same time enforcing what they perceive to be standards of appropriate conduct for all research. In much the same manner that I suggest that we need to modify our
evaluation standards, here, too, I suggest that IRBs should find ways to accommodate what
Mauthner et al. (2005) called qualitative research that is characterized by fluidity and inductive
uncertainty (p. 2). They continue, most ethical judgments applied to qualitative research designs
are negotiated within an organisations own internal regulatory body (p. 4).
Lincoln and Tierney (2004) discussed how IRBs can impede the conduct of qualitative
research. They suggested that proposals for such studies often have to be revised numerous times
to move them in a more conventional direction. They believed this demonstrates either lack of
understanding or prejudice toward nontraditional research. Tierney and Corwin (2007) suggested
that IRB regulations are becoming stricter as universities anticipate litigation. They believe that
these increased restrictions may impinge on the academic freedom of the researcher. T. Johnsons

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(2008) personal narrative about her difficulty receiving IRB approval for her dissertation is
extremely revealing. She had planned to study the phenomenon of sexual dynamics in the classroom.
Of course, she knew this was a sensitive topic, but she had the backing of her committee. She
quickly learned that she had forgotten the necessity of performing docility (p. 213). I think she
felt betrayed by her institution that, she said, had once set me free (p. 213). She noted that one
reason she faced so much difficulty is that her work did not fit the standard concept of scientific
methodology.
Ultimately, we are our own monitors and judges of appropriate behavior. Guidelines are
helpful; they remind us of the areas to concentrate on. They pinpoint specific principles we
might not have considered. IRBs serve as monitors for universities, but they also are political
beings. Requirements set by government agencies, private organizations, or school systems
also attempt to keep us on track. As a researcher entering the field, you have an obligation to
those who provide the valuable information for your study. It is easy to focus on your study
and what you need; those you study are equally important. Koro-Ljungberg, Gemignani,
Brodeur, and Kmiec (2007) suggested researchers ethical decision making and freedom of
choice need to be separate from discussions related to researchers compliance, duties, and
institutional responsibilities (Abstract). Boman and Jevne (2000), in their narrative about
being charged with an ethical violation, offered this suggestion: The stories about the dilemmas and the conflicts of our research experiences, often left untold, are paramount to advancing our notions about what constitutes ethical and unethical conduct in qualitative research
endeavors (p. 554).
You might be interested to learn what happened to Susan. She contacted me the next time
I was at the school and asked to speak to me. She assured me that she was just testing me to see
whether I kept my word. After further questioning, I came to believe that she was now telling me
the truth. I only wish all dilemmas would end so easily. Of course, I will never really know which
version of the truth Susan was telling.

Summary
Ethical behavior is defined as a set of moral principles, rules, or standards governing a person or
profession. Major principles of ethical conduct include that the researcher should do no harm,
that privacy and anonymity of participants must be protected, that confidentiality of information
must be maintained, that informed consent of participants needs to be obtained (including assurance that participation is voluntary, with the opportunity to withdraw from the research), that
inappropriate behavior must be avoided, and that data must be interpreted honestly without distortion. Finally, the extent to which participants are to share in data ownership and any benefits
from the research must be considered.
Although the principles seem straightforward, a series of examples were provided that illustrate the difficulty in adhering to the principles, often because situations may have a complex array
of conflicting interests. The role of the IRB was discussed, along with the dilemmas sometimes
faced by qualitative researchers in meeting the requirements of the IRB.

Chapter 4 Ethical Issues in Qualitative Research 67

I N D I V I DUAL ACTIVITY
Purpose: To examine the major principles of ethical conduct.
Activity: Answer the following questions, then share your ideas with the class.
1. Dealing With Confidentiality. You conduct a phenomenological study of teenage
students from a suburban school system. You conduct an in-depth interview with a
teenager to whom you have promised confidentiality. She tells you she is depressed and
plans to commit suicide. You believe she means it. Can you break your promise? If so,
who do you tell?
2. Dealing With Anonymity. You conduct a case study on a small school in a remote location.
When you write up the results, it is almost impossible to disguise the school, yet you
promised you would treat the data anonymously. How should you deal with this?
3. Dealing With Inappropriate Relationships. You conduct an ethnographic study of a young
adult over a long period. Your fieldwork takes you to his home, his school, the bars he frequents, his church, and so on. Over time, you become very attached to him. You find your
friendship leads to feelings toward him that you cannot control. You know that getting too
close is inappropriate, but you find it difficult to control your feelings. What should you do?
4. Dealing With Informed Consent. Your plan is to study educational practice among a particular tribe of Native Americans. You approach the leader of the school on the reservation. He
gives his permission to study students and teachers. However, when you attempt to get the
participation of these groups, no one is willing to sign your permission form. They are willing to talk to you, but they do not trust what you might do with the form. Even though you
assure them that you will keep the information private, they see you as someone who represents the leadership and thus are mistrustful. What should you do? How do you convince
them that they need to sign the form for you to continue?
5. Dealing With a Reluctant IRB. You attend a state school in the Midwest. You have heard
that the IRB is quite traditional, yet your study is about teenagers and illegal substances.
You have access to a number of individuals through a recreational center. You feel sure
that you can get participants to be in your study and open up to you, but you do not want
to plan a detailed list of questions because you want the conversation to evolve. You
receive support from your advisor and encouragement from your committee members.
How do you write a proposal that will get approved?
6. Dealing With Privacy. You interview college students about life on campus. One student
tells you that his roommate seems seriously depressed and spends much time on the
Internet looking at sites for making bombs. Do you tell someone?
Evaluation: Look at how students are able to resolve ethical dilemmas.