7. Design the evaluation with careful attention
to ethical issues.
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| Qualitative studies pose some unique ethical
challenges because of the often emergent and open-ended nature of the
inquiry and because of the direct personal contact between the evaluator
and people observed or interviewed. |
- Explaining purpose: How will you explain the purpose
of the evaluation and methods to be used in ways that are accurate
and understandable?
- What language will make sense to participants in the study?
- What details are critical to share? What can be left out?
- What’s the expected value of your work to society and
to the greater good?
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- Promises and reciprocity: What's in it for the
interviewee?
- Why should the interviewee participate in the interview?
- Don't make promises lightly, e.g., promising a copy of the tape
recording or the report. If you make promises, keep them.
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- Risk assessment: In what ways, if any, will conducting
the interview put people at risk? How will you describe these potential
risks to interviewees? How will you handle them if they arise?
- psychological stress
- legal liabilities
- in evaluation studies, continued program participation (if certain
things become known)
- ostracism by peers, program staff, or others for talking
- political repercussions
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- Confidentiality: What are reasonable promises of
confidentiality that can be fully honored? Know the difference between
confidentiality and anonymity. (Confidentiality means you know, but
won’t tell. Anonymity means you don’t know, as in a survey
returned anonymously.)
- What things can you not promise confidentiality about, e.g.,
illegal activities, evidence of child abuse or neglect?
- Will names, locations, and other details be changed? Or do participants
have the option of being identified? (See discussion of this in
the text.)
- Where will data be stored?
- How long will data be maintained?
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- Informed consent: What kind of informed consent,
if any, is necessary for mutual protection?
- What are your local Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines
and requirements or those of an equivalent committee for protecting
human subjects in research?
- What has to be submitted, under what time lines, for IRB approval,
if applicable?
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- Data access and ownership: Who will have access
to the data? For what purposes?
- Who owns the data in an evaluation? (Be clear about this in
the contract.)
- Who has right of review before publication? For example, of
case studies, by the person or organization depicted in the case;
of the whole report, by a funding or sponsoring organization?
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- Interviewer mental health: How will you and other
interviewers likely be affected by conducting the interviews?
- What might be heard, seen, or learned that may merit debriefing
and processing?
- Who can you talk with about what you experience without breeching
confidentiality?
- How will you take care of yourself?
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- Advice: Who will be the researcher's confidant
and counselor on matters of ethics during a study? (Not all issues
can be anticipated in advance. Knowing who you will go to in the event
of difficulties can save precious time in a crisis and bring much-needed
comfort.)
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- Data collection boundaries: How hard will you push
for data?
- What lengths will you go to in trying to gain access to data
you want? What won’t you do?
- How hard will you push interviewees to respond to questions
about which they show some discomfort?
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- Ethical versus legal: What ethical framework and
philosophy informs your work and assures respect and sensitivity for
those you study beyond whatever may be required by law?
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