Overview

This free course, Becoming an ethical researcher, explores the ethics of planning, carrying out and reporting research which involves human participants. It will sensitise you to issues that a researcher should consider to support ethical and well-justified decision-making.A wide variety of research scenarios are used to stimulate individual reflection and discussion on the course forum, participation in which, together with successful completion of quizzes, will contribute to gaining a digital badge. Transcript6565Enrolling on the course will give you the opportunity to earn an Open University digital badge. Badges are not accredited by The Open University but they're a great way to demonstrate your interest in the subject and commitment to your career, and to provide evidence of continuing professional development.Once you are signed in, you can manage your digital badges online from My OpenLearn. In addition, you can download and print your OpenLearn statement of participation – which also displays your Open University badge.The Open University would reallyappreciate a few minutes of your time to tell us about yourself and your expectations for the course before you begin, in our start-of-course survey 6666.Once you complete the course we would also value your feedback and suggestions for future improvement, in our end-of-course survey 6767. Participationwill be completely confidential and we will not pass on your details to others.

Syllabus

Introduction and guidance
Introduction and guidance
Who is this course for?
Studying this course alongside Masters in Education or Masters in Childhood and Youth modules
What is a badged course?
What is a badge?
How do I achieve a badge for this course?
Moving around the course
Acknowledgements
Week1Session 1: Why study this course?
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 Becoming an ethical researcher
1.1 Ethical decision-making
2 What to research: sensitive topics
2.1 Sensitive topics and contexts
3 Who are you as a researcher: insider or outsider?
3.1 The implications of being an insider researcher
3.2 The implications of being an outsider researcher
4 Making a difference: why is research important?
4.1 Is covert research ever ethical?
5 How do we know if something is true?
5.1 Data as a source of evidence
6 This session’s quiz
7 Summary of Session 1
References
Acknowledgements
Week2Session 2: Planning ethical research
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 Who should researchers consider in research?
1.1 Throwing a spotlight on research in action
2 Showing respect
3 Researchers have options
4 Time spent in planning is time well spent
4.1 Concepts to support researchers and participants
4.2 Putting potential participants’ views first
5 This session’s quiz
6 Summary of Session 2
References
Acknowledgements
Week3Session 3: Meeting obligations in research
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 Being held accountable
1.1 Researcher accountabilities
1.2 Participatory research
1.3 Accountability
2 Ethical guidelines for researchers
3 Legal responsibilities
3.1 Data protection
What is needed to fulfil the General Data Protection Regulations
Anonymisation, deidentification and protection of privacy
3.2 Safeguarding
4 Dealing with unexpected circumstances
5 This session’s quiz
6 Summary of Session 3
References
Further reading
Acknowledgements
Week4Session 4: Showing respect in research
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 Showing respect in research
1.1 Respect when collecting data
1.2 Research on or with?
1.3 Do no harm
1.4 Guidance on showing respect
2 Respecting vulnerability in research
2.1 Research often needs courage
3 Voice and respect
3.1 Children’s participation
3.2 Consent from vulnerable groups
4 Respecting relationship and power differentials
5 This session’s quiz
6 Summary of Session 4
References
Acknowledgements
Week5Session 5: Researchers behaving ethically
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 Aristotle’s guidance on virtuous behaviour
2 Fieldwork – alone or with partners and co-researchers?
2.1 Children and young people as research partners
2.2 Children’s voice and children’s rights
3 Working with sponsors
3.1 Researcher wellbeing
4 Dealing with choices, changes and challenge during research
4.1 Internal changes
4.2 External changes
4.3 Researcher safety and wellbeing
4.4 An extreme case of research affecting safety
5 Choices, resilience and respect in practice
6 This session’s quiz
7 Summary of Session 5
References
Acknowledgements
Week6Session 6: Ethically ending and exiting research
Introduction and aims
Activities
1 What could go wrong after research?
2 Meeting expectations of others
3 Dissemination
3.1 ‘Horses for courses’: thinking about audiences
3.2 Thinking about the scale of dissemination
3.3 Dissemination needs an audience
4 Showing respect in dissemination
5 Legacy
6 This session’s quiz
7 Summary of Session 6
Tell us what you think
Review your answers
References
Acknowledgements