Fontys Business Research I PDF

PM03: Business Research I LW7: Research Ethics 1  Learning objectives You should: Be aware of issues associated with gaining traditional and internet-mediated access; Be aware of the importance of research ethics and the need to act ethica...

PM03: Business Research I LW7: Research Ethics 1  Learning objectives You should: Be aware of issues associated with gaining traditional and internet-mediated access; Be aware of the importance of research ethics and the need to act ethically; Be able to anticipate ethical issues at each stage of your research and in relation to particular techniques, and aware of approaches to help you deal with these; Be aware of the principles of data protection and data management. 2  Content Access to data Introduction to research ethics Data protection and data management The 9-step approach 3 Where are we? 4  Types of Access One way to differentiate is by source origin: – Traditional access – Internet-mediated access Intranet-mediated access – Hybrid access Another is by organisation: – Single-organisation access – Multi-organisation access Another is by individual: Individual/Elite person access 5  Traditional Access Traditional access involves: – Face-to-face interactions: Experiments, interviews, focus groups, observations, some questionnaires – Telephone conversations (telephone interviews) – Correspondence (postal questionnaires) – Visiting data archives: record offices, organisational archives 6  Levels of Access Physical access Continuing access Cognitive access The first level of traditional access. Access can be seen as a continuing Deals with acceptance, trust, and The initial entry into an organisation. process. consent of participants. I determines Access can fail due to: Access may be an incremental whether participants will decide to A lack of perceived value in and iterative process (e.g. initial take part in your research or not. relation to the work of the stage and further access later in organisation, group or the the project) individual Physical access is granted by The nature of the topic of its people other than your data potential sensitivity, or because collection subjects concerns about the confidentiality of the information that would be required Perceptions about your credibility and doubts about your competence See: Non-response error 7  Internet-Mediated Access Internet-mediated access involves: – Computing technologies: Web, email, instant messaging, webcams This virtual access is used to deliver: – Questionnaires – Conduct archival research – Discussions – Experiments – Interviews – Gather secondary data 8  Hybrid Access Benefits: – Achieve multi-organisation access, and need to negotiate access to intended participants within several organisations; – Negotiate continuing access and meet with your organisational broker or gatekeeper and intended participants to develop rapport and demonstrate your competence and establish trust to achieve this. 9 Strategies to Gain Access 10  Research Ethics “[…] the standards of behaviour that guide your conduct in relation to the rights of those who become the subject of your work or are affected by it.” (Saunders et al., 2019, p.253) Deontological view: Acting outside the “rules” can never be justified Teleological view: An act should be judged by its consequences 11  Code of Ethics Thus, researchers often refer to so-called “code of ethics” There are multiple code of ethics, the following table shows an incomplete list: 12  General Ethical Principles Codes of ethics should avoid poor practice, malpractice, and harm (non-maleficence) and promote beneficence. In the following, we are going to list a few general ethical principles to which almost every researcher adheres: Integrity, fairness, and open-mindedness of the researcher Respect for others Avoidance of harm (non-maleficence) Privacy of those taking part 13  General Ethical Principles Voluntary nature of participation and right to withdraw Informed consent of those taking part Ensuring confidentiality of data and maintenance of anonymity of those taking part Responsibility in the analysis of data and reporting of findings Compliance in the management of data Ensuring the safety of the researcher 14  Ethical Principles for Internet- Mediated Access The internet helps to facilitate. However, it brings its own issues with it. See the following: Scope for deception Lacking respect and causing harm Respecting privacy Nature of participation and scope to withdraw 15  Ethical Principles for Internet- Mediated Access Informed consent Confidentiality of data and anonymity of participants Analysis of data and reporting of findings Management of data Safety of the researcher 16  Ethical issues at each research stage 17 Consent 18 Consent Form Example 19  Data Protection & Management Personal data refers to data that identifies individuals directly or (when combined) makes individuals identifiable. Processing personal data: – Processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently – Obtained for specified, explicit, and lawful purposes – Adequate, relevant, and limited to the purpose for which they are processed – Accurate and up to date – Kept in form – Kept securely and protected – Held responsibly by the person who controls them 20  Data Protection & Management Unless there is a clear reason to make use of personal data, it is worth considering to anonymise data Techniques to anonymise are: – Removing subject’s names and other idenitfiers – Pseudonyms – Obscuring faces and other identifiers – For quantitative data: data masking and data aggregation 21  Data Protection & Management Data management is an important topic in professional research, typically in the form of a data management plan These plans describe what data will be gathered, where it will be stored, for how long it will be stored, and what it will be used for As soon as you are confronted with primary data collection (e.g. interviews), the topic of data management should definitely be revisited! 22  Moral Issue vs. Moral Dilemma Moral issue: A moral issue refers to a situation, problem, or question that involves considerations of right and wrong, good and bad, or ethical and unethical behavior. It often involves a conflict between different values, principles, or beliefs held by individuals or groups. Moral issues are subjective and can vary based on cultural, religious, or personal perspectives. Moral dilemma: A moral dilemma is a specific type of moral issue characterized by a situation in which a person is faced with two or more conflicting moral imperatives, and it is not clear which course of action is the morally right one. In a moral dilemma, regardless of the choice made, there will be a negative ethical consequence. 23  The 9-Step Approach Phase I: Orientation Phase IV: Evaluation Step 1: What questions come to your mind when you Step 7: What is the weight of these arguments in this think about this case? case? Step 8: Which action should be taken on the basis of these deliberations? Phase II: Explicitation Phase V: Approach Step 2: What is the moral question? Step 9: Which concrete actions follow from this? Step 3: What are the possible actions that can be undertaken in this case? Step 4: What information is still lacking? Phase III: Analysis Step 5: What are the perspective of people? Step 6: What are the relevant arguments? 24  Study advice LW7 Study the slides Read: chapter 6 Formulate questions Apply the knowledge 25