Ethical Dilemmas in Qualitative Research

This title was first published in 2002. A critical exploration of the ethical dilemmas and issues that confront qualitative researchers, including respect for privacy, establishing honesty and openness in relationships formed and guarding against misrepresentation.

This title was first published in 2002.The connectedness and degree of intimacy that forms between researcher and the researched in qualitative inquiry generates a range of ethical issues. Many professional associations have produced their own sets of ethical guidelines for members as a result of these issues. This edited collection explores and critically reviews the range of ethical dilemmas and issues that confront qualitative researchers in the field including: respect for privacy, establishing honesty and openness in the relationship formed, and guarding against misrepresentation. The contributors offer reflexive and confessional accounts of the process of negotiating the inevitable tensions that arise when applying the ethical principles expressed in the statements of professional and research bodies to the material situations encountered in the field. The diversity of settings and projects explored in this book testify to the fact that prescriptive templates often provide an inadequate picture of the ethical dilemmas encountered in researching the social and life worlds of the participants. The volume reflects the diversity of qualitative research currently being undertaken and provides a text which deals with the ethical realities of doing such research. The book will be an important resource for students, teachers and researchers.