WeD Research Ethics September 2004

Introduction

The ‘social life’ of any research project—its principles, conduct and the relationships it involves —is central not only to its morality, but also to the quality of information it can yield. An ethical approach concerns all stages of study, from the identification of a research problem right through to the analysis and dissemination of findings. At its heart is recognition that research involves power, and a commitment to both produce and employ research findings in ways that minimise abuse and offer potential for transformation. This is a particular concern in international, especially 'North-South' research, in the context of global inequality.

This paper sets out the WeD position on research ethics. At the centre are relationships: with research subjects; within the WeD team; with funders; and with the wider public. The terms of these are governed by the 'Three P's': Principles, Practice, and Procedures. Research ethics for social science in developing countries are as yet relatively under-developed, and the present statement only sets out a general framework within which country teams will negotiate their own more detailed codes. It is open to revision in response to these, and will be reviewed annually by the WeD management team and Advisory Groups. The documents used in formulating this policy are set out in the appendix.

An Ethical Objective

The essence of WeD's ethical approach lies in its objective: to develop a conceptual and methodological approach for understanding the social and cultural construction of wellbeing in developing countries. This recognises that advancing human wellbeing, particularly for the world's poorest people, is the proper aim of social, economic, and development policy. It further commits WeD to understanding how wellbeing looks to those people themselves. This means investigating both local cultural meanings and values, and the processes through which poverty and inequality are reproduced. It also implies that WeD present its findings in terms policy makers and activists can use, to produce policies that more accurately reflect the interests of the poor in future.

Principles

Four principles undergird WeD's ethical approach: Respect, Inclusiveness, Openness, Dialogue.

In relation to research subjects, respect and inclusiveness involve:
• gaining appropriate collective consent locally before beginning field research
• gaining informed consent from those interviewed and photographed, and where appropriate those responsible for them (eg in the case of children)
• seeking the views of those who may be silenced, either by local or bureaucratic convention, especially by class, gender, ethnicity, age, or disability
• recording faithfully how respondents see the world, even when our perspectives differ
• recognising diversity within the local context
• showing sensitivity in the topics discussed, how these are introduced and given closure
• ensuring confidentiality is observed when people desire it
• recognising the importance of other calls on respondents' time and their other priorities
• showing thanks for people's time and input

Openness and Dialogue mean:
• explaining clearly one's purpose and identity, and especially what one cannot offer
• being equally available to all kinds of people
• recognising the partiality of one's own knowledge, capabilities, and assumptions
• sharing and negotiating research findings locally
• admitting the limitations of the research findings

Within the WeD team, power issues arise in particular between staff on different levels and contractual terms, and in dynamics across country teams and between these and the management group in Bath. Many of the same issues hold here as were noted with respect to research subjects above. In addition, the principles mean:
• offering support, ensuring staff safety, and expressing appreciation for what is done
• building up the skills of staff and research capacity within the countries studied
• enabling individuals to pursue particular concerns as these further the common project
• inclusive sharing and negotiation of research objectives, methodologies and ethical issues at an intellectual as well as practical level
• holding oneself bound by collective decisions

In relation to funders, these principles concern in particular a commitment to deliver what has been promised, unless this is re-negotiated during the course of the research.

The wider public divides into several interest groups, both in the UK and within the countries studied. WeD sees as its main target groups the academic communities, policy makers and activists. In this arena, the principles involve specifically:
• including representatives of key target groups as active participants throughout the process, especially through local advisory groups
• engaging with national wellbeing priorities
• observing local codes of conduct, customs, and procedures in sharing research ideas and outcomes

Practice

Research practice will always be messier than the principles suggest. The WeD project involves a wide range of research methods and approaches. The key to ethical practice lies in the formation of sound and honest relationships. However, tricky issues will always arise. These should be addressed as immediately as possible in consultation with relevant colleagues, while recognising that the resolution of one situation will often have implications for another.

Procedures

There is an ethics co-ordinator within the management group and in each country team. This is the person ultimately responsible for drawing up the country specific guidelines, in consultation with others. Beyond WeD, the Bath-based ethics co-ordinator will consult in the first instance with the ethics sub-group of the Research Committee of the Department of Economics and International Development. WeD researchers will also refer to the ethical guidelines governing their own disciplines, the Institutional Code of Ethics at Bath University, and the emerging research ethics framework of the ESRC. Training in ethical research will be given to all team members. Throughout the research process there will be regular discussion of ethical issues and dilemmas. These will be shared with the whole WeD team when issues are of particular importance or prevalence. Ethical questions should be raised with the local ethical co-ordinator in the first instance, who may then refer them on to colleagues in other country teams or in Bath. Consideration of ethics will also appear in research publications.

Bibliography

American Psychological Association. 2002. Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code Of Conduct (especially p11-12).
http://www.apa.org/ethics/code2002.pdf
Association of Social Anthropologists of the UK and the Commonwealth. 1999. Ethical Guidelines for Good Research Practice. http://les1.man.ac.uk/asa/Ethics/Ethical%20Guidelines.pdf
Benatar, SR. 2002. Re?ections and recommendations on research ethics in
developing countries. Social Science & Medicine 2002; 54:1131–1141.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6VBF-44CXT0V-7-1&_cdi=5925&_orig=browse&_coverDate=04%2F30%2F2002&_sk=999459992
& wchp=dGLbVtb-lSzBA&_acct=C000010279&_version=1&_userid=126089
& md5=d41fe6d9150ced99125ab1f9818c092b&ie=f.pdf
British Psychological Society. 2000. Code of conduct, ethical principles and guidelines (especially p8-11).
http://www.bps.org.uk/documents/Code.pdf
British Sociological Association. 2002. Statement of ethical practice. http://www.britsoc.co.uk/bsaweb.php?link_id=14&area=item1
Chambers, R. 2002. Participatory numbers: experience, questions and the future.
http://www.swan.ac.uk/cds/worddocs/Robert%20Chambers.doc
Davies J, Richards M and Cavendish W. 1999. Beyond the limits of PRA? A comparison of participatory and conventional economic research methods in the analysis of Ilala palm use in South-Eastern Zimbabwe. Overseas Development Institute, London.
Dev Makkar, B. 2002. Roles and responsibilities in researching poor women in Brazil. In: Welland, T (ed). 2002. Ethical dilemmas in qualitative research. Ashgate, Aldershot.
De Waal, A. 1989. Famine that kills. Clarendon Press, Oxford.
De Waal, A. 1997. Famine crimes: politics and the disaster relief industry in Africa. James Currey, Oxford.
Medical Research Council.1998. Research involving Human Participants in Developing Societies: Ethical Guidelines for MRC-sponsored Studies.
http://www.mrc.ac.uk/pdf-devsoc.pdf
The National Committee for Research Ethics in the Social Sciences and the Humanities. 2001. Guidelines for research ethics in the social sciences, law and the humanities.
http://www.etikkom.no/Etikkom/Engelsk/Publications/NESHguide
Social Research Association. 2002. Ethical Guidelines.
http://www.the-sra.org.uk/index2.htm
Wed. 2003. Review of ethical guidelines for research in developing countries
Wilkinson, J. 2000. Children and participation: research, monitoring and evaluation with children and young people. Save the Children. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/development/global_pub/child_part.pdf