Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 14:02:40 -0000
From: Darren Newbury <[log in to unmask]>
Ethical Issues in Research in Art, Design and Media
Compared with other, more established subject areas, art, design and media
are relatively new research disciplines, and have only recently begun to
tackle the issue of ethical implications of research. In some cases,
ethical guidelines associated with other disciplines have provided a good
basis for addressing many such issues, but increasingly researchers are
becoming aware of ethical dilemmas that are specific both to the subject
domains and to the particular research practices emerging in this area.
For example, the taking or use of visual images without the knowledge or
consent of the subjects involved.
The purpose of this research is to enhance research training by giving
specific attention to these research issues. This will be achieved
through the development of a series of case studies that will highlight
the ethical dilemmas faced in typical research projects, and consider
possible means of addressing them.
My role in the project is to collate, analyse and write up case examples
of ethical issues in art, design and media in a form that can be used in
workshops with doctoral students, and also published online. I plan to
achieve this is by interviewing researchers, both doctoral and
post-doctoral, who have faced ethical dilemmas in their research that they
feel are specific to the subject; these may or may not have been resolved.
The interviews may be face to face, by phone, or using email. Where
practical, I hope, with the interviewees consent, to audio record the
interviews. I will use an interpretive narrative approach in which I will
write a first account of the case example, focusing on the ethical
aspects, and will then return to the researcher to confirm my
understanding and interpretation.
Of course, this research project has its own ethical implications that we
intend to address with these procedures:
- the confidentiality of research contributors, their participants, and
any specific issues identified by the researchers will be respected, and
will be preserved in the final written account
- any written account, or any other dissemination of the material supplied
by the researchers, will ensure that the anonymity of both the
contributors and any others involved will be maintained and protected
- any written interpretation of case examples or other material will be
discussed with contributors and confirmed as a true account before it is
disseminated
- no material provided will be used in any way without the prior consent
of contributors.
The first stage in the process is to identify appropriate research
projects that would be amenable to this approach. If you are engaged in
research that has involved such ethical issues, or if you know of a
colleague or student in that position who would who would be willing to
share their experiences with us, then please contact Darren or Anne.
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Anne Boultwood
5 December 2005
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