Cambridge University pointed out that, “The University recognises that in a significant number of cases, the involvement of an ethics committee may not be necessary. However, it expects all researchers embarked on research involving human participants or personal data to consider the ethical risks of their work and, in case of doubt, to seek appropriate advice.” (Morgan, 2014)
As an investigator who employs critical analysis, I believe that ethical resources should be cross-referenced, as my positionality or intersectional characteristics may unintentionally obstruct my perspective (Imperial College London, 2023). I therefore sought the advice of my tutor and a peer as I was writing my first effort at my ethical form, to review and offer criticism.
Ethics Enquiry Form V1: Ethical Enquiry Form 2023 Michele Palmer.docx
The feedback given included:
- My use of language – being clear on the activity
- Clarification on who will be documenting the findings/results?
- The use of a questionnaire, within conversation, rather than the use of a survey as a methodology.
- Using fewer questions to gain feedback, to achieve the same information.
- Stating a cut-off date for when they can opt-out? And deciding if there will be a cooling-off period after giving feedback.
- Having considerations if someone says they don’t want to/don’t have time to do the module or says they will do it and then doesn’t?
- You could ask a peer or colleague to look over the responses as well, and either discuss them with you, or give you their take on them? This could act as a check on your own reactions.
I was able to make changes and enhance my V1 ethics form owing to the review and comments I received. It also gave me suggestions for how I wanted to convey this information to prospective participants to obtain their informed consent.
Taking the criticism into consideration, I clarified the text and the purpose of the study. In addition, I decided to use a questionnaire methodology or series of questions approach since I thought it would be more suitable for the small number of participants: a conversational questionnaire (Reputation, n.d.).
Regarding reluctance to participate in the research, I won’t put any demands on them to complete the module or provide an explanation if they decline. If they consent to participate in the study but choose not to complete the activity/module, I will ask them why they chose not to do so and incorporate their comments into my findings.
I may discuss and share the responses (anonymously) with my peers (my network – mentioned in my ethics form and my KE colleagues) and tutors, to address risks that may occur and may affect my well-being; critically evaluating the information provided by the data captured (Oxford Academic, n.d.).
My goal is to compile each participant’s response and provide this specific information to them. This illustrates shared consent, which can be described as promoting credibility and trust, whilst showcasing my study’s transparency (Health Research Authority, n.d.). Additionally, this usually constitutes an unwritten covenant between the participants and myself, in retaining data until after my study is concluded, like the relationship with doctors and consulting patients (Massimo, Wiley and Casari, 2004).
Ethics Enquiry Form V2: Ethics Michele Palmer – signed v2.docx
References:
Morgan, R. (2014). Ethical review flowchart. [online] www.research-integrity.admin.cam.ac.uk. Available at: https://www.research-integrity.admin.cam.ac.uk/ethical-review-flowchart#:~:text=Cambridge%20Ethical%20Review [Accessed 12 Dec. 2023].
Health Research Authority. (n.d.). Communicating study findings to participants: guidance. [online] Available at: https://www.hra.nhs.uk/planning-and-improving-research/policies-standards-legislation/research-transparency/informing-participants/communicating-study-findings-participants-guidance/#:~:text=You%20should%20set%20out%20your [Accessed 12 Jan. 2024].
Massimo, L.M., Wiley, T.J. and Casari, E.F. (2004). From informed consent to shared consent: a developing process in paediatric oncology. The Lancet Oncology, 5(6), pp.384–387. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/s1470-2045(04)01496-2.
Imperial College London (2023). Unconscious bias. [online] Imperial College London. Available at: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/equality/resources/unconscious-bias/#:~:text=What%20is%20unconscious%20bias%3F
Reputation. (n.d.). Conversational Surveys: What Are They and How Can They Benefit Your Business? [online] Available at: https://reputation.com/resources/articles/conversational-surveys-benefits/#:~:text=Conversational%20surveys%20collect%20customer%20feedback [Accessed 15 Jan. 2024].
Oxford Academic. (n.d.). Cross-referencing. [online] Available at: https://academic.oup.com/pages/authoring/books/preparing-your-manuscript/cross-referencing