Dialogue and reciprocity

Adults

The initial design of a study is usually guided by principles contained in relevant ethics codes, institutional ethics requirements and disciplinary norms. Beyond this, the ethics of research can be enhanced through consultation with relevant adult stakeholders during research design, conduct and review. These consultations might be with participants, and with adults who have similar roles in sites that are not included in a specific research project.

The consultations can help to inform researchers’ decision-making when ethical issues emerge in the research field, and enable participant preferences to inform their ethics decision making.

This approach reflects a move in qualitative social research towards ethics being more respectful of participants’ perspectives – to be viewed as situated and dialogic, where participants’ perspectives are integral to all phases of the research process.

Children

Children have the right to be given control over ethical decision making, rather than have normative, adult ethical standards and values imposed upon them.

Where possible, it is important to consult with child participants by designing creative and fun ways for potential issues to be explored before the research commences. This will help the children to get to know the researcher(s) and to feel more comfortable in their presence.

Importantly, by building in time and resources for a consultation and review phases throughout a study, researchers are more able to be sure that children are comfortable with the research plans and conduct, and make reasonable adjustments to the research, to accommodate and adapt to participant viewpoints.

Research conducted in this dialogic manner is more likely to reap benefits for child participants.

Homes

Conducting research in home environments can at first feel socially awkward. One way to relieve this feeling is to adopt a reciprocal and dialogic approach, which can help to put participants and researchers at ease.

A dialogic approach to research ethics creates space for an exchange of views between researchers and participants, and also between experienced and less experienced researchers. This encourages multiple perspectives to be taken into account during ethics decision making.

Educational and community settings

The power dynamics and protocols of schools, preschools and informal learning environments such as museums and libraries can lead to managers acting as gatekeepers for research, and to the parameters for research conduct being defined by the requirements of the setting.

It can therefore be highly productive to talk about the research processes with other adult and child participants, and to maintain reciprocal dialogues throughout the research process. In this way, the research can be informed and strengthened by multiple viewpoints, including the voices of participants whose perspectives might otherwise be overlooked.

A dialogic approach to research ethics creates space for an exchange of views between researchers and participants, and also between experienced and less experienced researchers. This encourages multiple perspectives to be taken into account during ethics decision making.

Virtual or online

The extent to which dialogue between researchers and participants can be established in online or virtual environments depends heavily on the research design, and the transparency of the researcher’s presence. For example, there may be a fine line between transparency and interrupting the flow of online interaction.

It can therefore be helpful to set up a separate, private research feedback site/account, where participants can post reflective messages about the research process. Guidelines for conduct on such a site should be agreed with participants.

You should ask yourself:

1. Is the online research site a private or public space?

2. Is dialogue appropriate to this online site, and if not, what alternative formats might facilitate dialogue?