Approaching Research in a Prepared, Mindful and Ethical Manner

Abstract

Research students on a doctoral journey can sometimes feel like Little Red Riding Hood, observing those on the ethics committee as having shiny teeth and sharp claws, as they offer up their basket containing their research project. Understandably, students can find the idea of these additional gatekeepers with varying opinions and the power to axe their research plans an insurmountable difficulty. Suppose, however, the research student is faced with a participant who talks in an interview about something sensitive and way off topic, then cries? This is the real wolf to be avoided. If the researcher has considered these possibilities, it will be easier to deal with and pre-empt other needs, such as tissues. Guillemin and Gillam (“Reflexivity, and ethically important moments in research.” Qualitative Inquiry 10 (2): 261–280, 2004) term this “practical ethics”. If this is how ethics is approached, the ethics committee can be appreciated as a gateway on the journey to ensure that researchers have pre-thought possible hurdles, because when things happen unexpectedly, there may be little time to consider a reaction. This chapter outlines how research students will benefit from learning how to approach their research in an ethical manner.