Undertaking Sensitive Research in the Health and Social Sciences Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- About the authors
- 1 What is sensitive research?
- 2 Doing sensitive research: methodological, theoretical, ethical and moral perspectives
- 3 Conducting a sensitive research project
- 4 Managing boundaries in sensitive research
- 5 Emotions and sensitive research
- 6 Managing risks and ethics in research
- 7 Implications and recommendations for researchers
- References
- Index
- References
6 - Managing risks and ethics in research
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Acknowledgements
- About the authors
- 1 What is sensitive research?
- 2 Doing sensitive research: methodological, theoretical, ethical and moral perspectives
- 3 Conducting a sensitive research project
- 4 Managing boundaries in sensitive research
- 5 Emotions and sensitive research
- 6 Managing risks and ethics in research
- 7 Implications and recommendations for researchers
- References
- Index
- References
Summary
Traditionally risk in universities has been seen in terms of threats from physical work and from accidents on campus; academic and research staff have not been ‘risk assessed’ in relation to social research activity. Notions about academic work as a pen-pushing middle class pursuit contribute to the under-recognition of the risks of social research.
(Lee-Treweek & Linkogle, 2000b:201)While ethics committees and research supervisors are well versed in assessing risks to potential participants in sensitive research, the risks for the researchers and other members of the research team are often not considered. In this chapter we provide an overview of risk theory and examine risks in sensitive research. We offer some discussion regarding roles and responsibilities of risk assessment and management, and discuss ethical issues including confidentiality, anonymity and review the role of ethics committees in assessing potential harm to researchers. Based on evidence gained from researchers in the field, in this chapter we argue that there is currently insufficient recognition of the need for protection of researchers and other members of the research team involved in qualitative research on sensitive topics.
Theorizing risk
Monitoring of risk is a key aspect of modern society (Beck, 1992, 1994; Giddens, 1991, 1992, 1993), which has come to be known as a ‘risk society’ (Beck, 1992:5). Ulrich Beck (1992:5) states that risks ‘only exist in terms of the (scientific or anti-scientific) knowledge about them.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Undertaking Sensitive Research in the Health and Social SciencesManaging Boundaries, Emotions and Risks, pp. 95 - 114Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2008