professional handling of confidential sociological field notes entails professional handling of confidential sociological field notes entails

While informed consent thus aims to protect the participant, a few difficulties arise with how we approach it, some of a philosophical nature, others more practical. This is because the consequences can be substantial, both for the mother (social, personal, and even job-related repercussions) as well as the child (embarrassment, emotional distress). https://doi.org/10.1108/LR-01-2016-0001. For example, in an institution, the combination of age, position, and gender may lead to the identification of the participant if there is only one person with that specific set of characteristics. The number of cases in which participants waive confidentiality and/or in which IRBs agree to such a design are uncommon. Every field researchers approach to writing up field notes will vary according to whatever strategy works best for that individual. 7.1). But dont let your note taking distract you from whats happening around you. It is strictly greater than 0. Any information relating to the private sphere of a person that they wish not be shared with others is considered confidential. This information is differentiated from public information, which everyone has a right to access. Notably in this country, it is a cultural taboo to speak publicly about SRH issues, and accessibility to SRH services remain quite limited as well. The participant must trust that the researchers will fulfill their responsibilities and protect the participants interests. It means that participants themselves decide how they be involved and define their involvement. Research misconduct is a serious ethical issue because it can undermine academic integrity and institutional credibility. Zimmer, M. (2010). In extreme cases of self-plagiarism, entire datasets or papers are sometimes duplicated. As a result, deductive disclosure (Tolich 2004) occurs, where certain individual or group traits make them identifiable in research reports. These two issues protection of participants privacy and their autonomy, and evolving data protection regulation comprise an underlying dilemma: how do you ensure academic freedom while at the same time making sure that everything is done (morally and legally) to protect confidentiality? publishing them only in professional journals burning the notes once the researcher has had time to draw conclusions from them publishing them online, so . Informed consent refers to a situation in which all potential participants receive and understand all the information they need to decide whether they want to participate. When sensitive, personal, or identifying information from participants is made public without their consent, and it has negative consequences for the participant (or the community), the researcher can be held responsible if they could have prevented this from happening. Wiles, R., Charles, V., Crow, G., & Heath, S. (2006). Netflixs 2019 true crime documentary Dont F*ck with Cats gives an instructive illustration of how it is possible to identify an anonymous individual from a YouTube video by combining contextual information in the video (type of electoral receptacles, doorhandles, background noises), publicly available records (street maps, location of shops, etc), and the use of common sense. Field researchers use a variety of strategies to take notes while in the field. Russel Ogden decision review. Be sure to use all of your senses as you take notes: your eyes, your ears, your nose, your mouth, and your sense of touch. This means to a degree, the roles of researcher and participant roles blur. You can keep data confidential by using aggregate information in your research report, so that you only refer to groups of participants rather than individuals. Urban Life, 14, 454478. In W. C. van den Hoonaard (Ed. We defineto be the mean stopping distance (from a speed of 35 mph) of all ZX-900s. Share the results What are the three ways sociologists measure average, and how do they differ? https://doi.org/10.1016/j.knosys.2016.03.004. These principles include voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity, confidentiality, potential for harm, and results communication. Fortunately, sociological research does not have this potential for causing death or serious illness, but it still can cause other kinds of harm and thus must follow ethical standards. Cham: Springer. Updated March 7, 2022. Some sociologists consider the privacy and confidentiality of subjects so important that they have risked imprisonment when they have refused to violate confidentiality. In other words, field notes are not to be taken lightly or overlooked as unimportant. Some research is conducted in settings where sitting with a notebook, iPad, or computer is no problem (e.g., if conducting observations in a classroom or at a meeting), but this is probably the exception rather than the norm. Do you believe these measures were enough? Kotch (2000) argues that all three must be factored in when moving forward with a research project, but they carry different weights. Professional handling of confidential sociological field notes entails October 18, 2021 What is information security? Definition, principles, and jobs When the case came before a court of law, it was ruled that client-therapist confidentiality should have been breached because of a higher duty, the protection of the intended victim (see Herbert 2002 for a discussion of the case). (2008). (2007, October). Jane and Polly did not seem bothered by my tardiness (Polly, We dont keep a time clock around here.). Bjarnason, T., & Adalbjarnardottir, S. (2000). The dictionary defines sociology as 'the systematic study of society and social interaction'. Qualitative Sociology, 27(1), 101106. Anonymity and confidentiality: Do survey respondents know the difference? How, in the present situation, could a scientist still report on this project safely without giving up on academic freedom? Scarce, R. (1995). December 2, 2022. Weinberg, M. (2002). (2020). If the treatment actually has an effect, but you get a mean value that is quite similar to the mean for the population (that didnt get the treatment). Iphofen, R. All participants received an informed consent agreement fully detailing the aims of the study. ), Handbook of research ethics and scientific integrity (pp. The participation of prisoners was always forced, as consent was never sought. However, there may be situations in which private information about an individual becomes known without consent. Not all participants fit into this ideal of autonomous agency. National Motors would like to claim that the ZX-900 achieves a shorter mean stopping distance than the 60 ft claimed by a competitor. Whats important is that you adopt a strategy that enables you to write accurately, to write as much detail as possible, and to distinguish observations from reflections. Usually, youll provide participants with a text for them to read and ask them if they have any questions. (2007). Some research is conducted in settings where sitting with a notebook, iPad, or computer is no problem (e.g., if conducting observations in a classroom or at a meeting), but this is probably the exception rather than the norm. https://doi.org/10.1080/00909880500149445. C. Wright Mills Perhaps ahead of times, a sociologist warned of the dangers of the coalescing interests of the top leaders of business, politics, and the military. Technically these would not be breaches of confidentiality, but rather waivers of confidentiality agreements. Generally, The study of society, human social behavior, patterns of social interactions, social interaction, and elements of culture that are involved with day-to-day living are the primary objectives of sociology, a branch of the social sciences. Direct quotes may be difficult to remember hours or even minutes after hearing them. \text { Total assets at end of year } & 23,505 \\ (2000). In conclusion, Protecting respondents is essential when managing private sociological field notes. Formulate a hypothesis 5. Journal of Applied Communications, 333, 242257. PubMedGoogle Scholar. It empowers a company to Discuss the case (and its possible alternative scenarios) in class, and answer the following questions: Is it even possible to research sensitive issues such as sexual and reproductive health, in a conservative culture without endangering the parties involved? You might think of field research as an umbrella term that includes the myriad activities that field researchers engage in when they collect data: they participate, they observe, they usually interview some of the people they observe, and they typically analyze documents or artifacts created by the people they observe. At the .05 significance level, can we conclude that college students watch fewer DVDs a month than high school students? Compute the standard deviation of the defective parts produced in an hour by the companys production line. Protecting respondent confidentiality in qualitative research. These principles and standards should be used as guidelines when examining everyday professional activities. Left skewed. Under US law, anyone who suspects maltreatment of a child is legally required to report it. 2015). If researchers want to study minors (under age 18), they normally must obtain a signature from a parent or legal guardian. 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Rik Scarce was a PhD student at Washington State University doing research on an environmental movement in the United States. I was a little unsure about where to go from there so I just walked into the first open door and said, Im looking for the XX office. A woman showed me into a large office (long and slightly irregular shape with windows on one wall, a desk and table and many chairs. Also, with the aid of publicly available census data that contains records of individuals birth date, gender, and address, quasi-identifiers can be constructed, and anonymized records from smart meter data (Buchmann et al. The American Sociological Association's (ASA's) Code of Ethics sets forth the principles and ethical standards that underlie sociologists' professional responsibilities and conduct. LexisNexis CLE On-Demand features premium content from partners like American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education and Pozner & Dodd. 2005) makes secondary use questionable (use of the same data by different researchers). Confidentiality pertains to the understanding between the researcher and participant that guarantees sensitive or private information will be handled with the utmost care. The project leader granted the students permission to interview key project members and stakeholders. Hierarchical anonymization algorithms against background knowledge attack in data releasing. Anonymity can be defined as the degree to which the source of a message can be identified (Scott 1995). Online: SFU Presidents Homepage, http://www.sfu.ca/pres/OgdenReview.htm (date accessed: 12 Mar 2020). The duty to warn: A reconsideration and critique. The requirement of informed consent becomes an ethical issue when prisoners are studied, because prisoners may feel pressured to participate in the study. (2011). Quasi-identifiers make it possible that a participant be identified when disparate information that by itself do not identify a subject are combined to create a clearer picture. Have you heard the popular philosophical question about trees falling? As all these examples of ethical issues demonstrate, it is not always easy to decide whether a particular research project is ethically justifiable. When students return to the classroom, I ask them to compare notes with their group members and discuss what strategies they used in making and recording observations. B. The limits of confidentiality. As with other proficiencies one develops, writing field notes is a skill that can be improved with practice. Others might create two columns for their full field notesone containing notes only about what was observed directly and the other containing reactions and impressions. Should the student make use of this information and break confidentiality of the basis that she acts in good faith, or should all mention of ethnicity be removed, in accordance with institutional policiy, at the cost of losing vital information? When treatment became possible in 1943, 11 years after the study began, none of the participants were offered it, despite their health conditions and high risk of death. Adapted from Ruth Gerathy, Anonymisation and Social Research (2016). Voluntary participation means that all research subjects are free to choose to participate without any pressure or coercion. Auguste Comte 7.5). Zhou, B., Pei, J., & Luk, W. S. (2008). In this section, well focus on descriptive field notes. If you enter both data sets in your analyses, you get a different conclusion compared to when you only use one data set. The participants experienced researchers who themselves used qualitative methods were mostly critical of informed consent procedures. And although GDPR is meant to avoid these risks as much as possible, Rhoens (2019, p. 75) warns how in the age of big data, power tends to be shifted towards data controllers, reducing consumers autonomy, undermining a key element of private law in Europe. There can be good reason to disclose sensitive or personal information without consent if circumstances force the researchers hand. In one example, a graduate student named Mario Brajuha had been doing participant observation as a restaurant waiter on Long Island, New York, when the restaurant burned down. Sociology chapter 1: Quiz 1 Flashcards | Quizlet I say that in jest, but there is some truth to it. National Motors has equipped the ZX-900 with a new disk brake system. Singer & A. M. Viens (Eds. Such a project could increase the prevalence of SRH facilities, offering affordable, accessible, quality services which, if successful, could increase awareness and knowledge of SRH, all with the desired outcome of behavioral change. Ohm, P. (2010). Scribbr. Early in a field research project you may focus slightly more on describing the lay of the land than you do later on. Chronicle of Higher Education, 39, 10. 2.4 Ethical Issues in Sociological Research - Sociology One stakeholder noted how increasing conservatism makes talking about SRH difficult, and believed that professionals would be nervous raising these issues., In concluding their research, the masters students stressed the importance of the project for the community. Current Rules of Professional Conduct - California Field researchers might use any number of tools or strategies to facilitate taking notes in the field such as writing on ones own hands, dictating observations into a handheld recorder, or taking notes in the form of text messages on ones phone. Department of Interdisciplinary Social Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands, You can also search for this author in In another case, a graduate student named Rik Scarce refused to turn over his field notes on radical environmentalists after one of the groups he was studying vandalized a university laboratory. Ethical dilemmas of confidentiality with adolescent clients: Case studies from psychologists. Dont forget to describe exactly where you were and detail your surroundings (in addition to describing the interactions and conversations you observed and participated in). Why are these kinds of unemployment This posed a dilemma for the students and their advisor. Perhaps the clearest example of such a problem is when a study involves prisoners. Select a topic 2. Journal of Academic Ethics, 1(2), 141151. Why do those similarities and differences exist? yes. The results are shown in the relative frequency histogram below. Writing notes while in the field requires a fine balance between jotting down your observations and actually engaging in the setting. https://doi.org/10.1080/01406720500036786. Instead, the goal was to describe a location where I knew Id be spending a fair amount of time and to describe my first impressions of the two women I knew would be likely candidates for key informants. (Note: Both means are whole numbers, so the definitional formula works well.). 55 terms. Piscataway: IEEE. 55 terms. The company requires a 14 percent minimum rate of return. 2007). in Statistics. these relationships are pivotal, and formal agreements, such as informed consent procedures, can be problematic in a culture that values relationships over roles and position (LaFrance and Bull 2009, p. 145). https://doi.org/10.1177/1464993413490479. In R. Iphofen (Ed. Here, waiving confidentiality borders on a conflict of interest (see Chap. Disclosing confidential information. Other breaches may be brought about by a third party and are not a result of the researchers actions. British Educational Research Journal, 35(3), 431445. The researchers had requested and obtained permission to utilize the data for research purposes from Facebook, the college involved, as well as the colleges Institutional Review Board (IRB). Recognizing the importance of confidentiality to research and that disclosure would disrupt the free flow of information to the public, thus 'denigrating a fundamental First Amendment value,'5 the court quashed the subpoena. Quiz Grade 2. Defying research ethics will also lower the credibility of your research because its hard for others to trust your data if your methods are morally questionable. This can be found, for example, if a third party could find themselves in immediate or future risk were certain information to remain unknown to them (Box 7.5). Confidentiality issues were further complicated when suspicion of child abuse arose. The description in my field notes continues for several more paragraphs, but I wont torture you with those details. Otherwise, they may feel pressured to participate in the project without really wanting to do so. No matter how difficult it can be to write notes while in the field, it is worth the effort. Fill in the blank(s) with the appropriate word(s). Qualitative Research, 6(3), 283299. Kroger, a national supermarket chain, reported the following data (in millions) in its financial statements for a recent year: Totalrevenue$82,189Totalassetsatendofyear23,505Totalassetsatbeginningofyear23,126\begin{array}{lr} What strategy did you each employ to take notes? She had collected a ton of. In 2009 30th IEEE symposium on security and privacy (pp. In the following section, well examine the uses and writing of analytic field notes more closely. Research policies distinguish between these various categories of personal data. The following list, derived in part from the European General Data Protection Regulation, is not exhaustive (Fig. Many of these principles are paralleled by similar procedures in medicine, law, and other professional domains (for further discussion, see Bok 1983, and Israel 2014). A., Marx, D. M., Judd, C. M., & Park, B. Slowther, A., & Kleinman, I. Although it can be unintentional, copying someone elses work without proper credit amounts to stealing. In 2007 IEEE 23rd international conference on data engineering (pp. If your observations will be conducted in the same place and with the same people, these descriptive details you write up early on will become less noticeable to you over time. We restrict our analysis, as we have in all other chapters in this book, to research ethics, and do not cover confidentiality issues within professional relationships, and only briefly touch on the (often severe) judicial components of the issue. The first regards the availability of information, and the growing capacity to combine information on a large-scale is making it increasingly difficult to guarantee anonymity. Describing confidentiality experience on a CV. But the data is already public: On the ethics of research in Facebook. Research misconduct means making up or falsifying data, manipulating data analyses, or misrepresenting results in research reports. How would you advise the student to proceed? https://doi.org/10.1111/bjet.12144. Certain conditions and arrangements have been designed to guarantee safe participation in research. Los Alamitos: IEEE. A breach of confidentiality means that the obligation of the researcher to ensure their research respects the dignity and autonomy of the participant is not fulfilled or honored, or that an essential element in the agreement between researcher and participant is broken. Humphreys responded that he protected the mens names and that their behavior was not private, as it was conducted in a public setting (Humphreys, 1975). https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/77748. These are major ethical violations because they can skew research findings if taken as original data. Rules Cross-Reference Table ("1992" Rules to the Current Rules, Current Rules to the "1992" Rules ) Purpose and Function of the Rules of Professional Conduct (Rule 1.0) Generally, The study of society, human social behavior, patterns of social interactions, social interaction, and elements of culture that are involved with day-to-day living are the primary objectives of sociology, a branch of the social sciences. For example, user profiles for many common web-oriented services (such as Facebook or Google profiles) provide a host of background information that make it easy to re-identify research participants in anonymized data sets (Kumpot and Maty 2009). Good science communication is honest, reliable, and credible. In practice, safeguarding confidentiality entails that the researcher observes the following restrictions: Research participants remain anonymous by default, Researchers do not obtain private data unless there is good reason to, Participants must be briefed on the goal or purpose of the research, its means of investigation, and who has access to the data, Participants must give active consent, are not coerced to participate, and retain the right to withdraw their cooperation at any moment (even after the study has been completed), Participants must be provided with an opportunity to review their data and correct any mistakes they perceive.