As in day-to-day Practice, ethics are central to research in practice. In this chapter, we'll consider ethics as a decision-making process and discuss some specifics of working ethically with research participants. Topics include relationships, voluntary participation and reciprocity, anonymity and confidentiality, and informed choice and consent.

To provide a framework for what follows, take a few moments to reflect on the following situations. Suppose that:

It's the end of a long day. Tired as you are, you wait in line for 15 minutes to pay for your groceries. On your way out, you notice that the cashier gave you too much change. What should you do?

You teach a course that learners take for credit. You mark and return a mid-term exam. Later you realize that you marked one section of the exam out of 20 instead of out of 10. As a result, all of the marks were higher than they should have been. What should you do?

As part of a research project, you are interviewing students a number are unhappy with a particular teacher or tutor. What should you do?

Ethics has to do with how we ought to act in the situations in which we find ourselves-as community members, family members, friends, teachers, learners-and as researchers. Codes of ethics for researchers have been developed nationally and internationally, with the aim of protecting research participants.^{Footnote 8} Universities, colleges and other institutions also have codes or guidelines for research. Depending on where you work, you may be required to submit a plan to a committee or board and show how you will follow their research guidelines. Whether or not you are required to submit a plan, it is important to plan how you will work ethically with research participants and in all aspects of your research.

The focus of research ethics has been on minimizing harm to the participants in the research and on the related issues of voluntary participation, informed consent, anonymity and confidentiality. Ethical guidelines were first developed for research that involved people in medical experiments, with an understandable focus on minimizing mental or physical harm to clients or patients. Given the different nature of research in practice, the potential for physical harm may seem less likely, but there is potential for emotional harm or repercussions. For example, interviews may prompt participants to recall painful or challenging experiences, whether that was your intention or not. Or suppose you are interviewing practitioners about their work. Would there be repercussions if they talk about problems or challenges that have resulted from policy changes? Will you avoid research that might prompt such responses, or will you proceed? How will you inform participants about potential harm and how you intend to reduce the potential? Might you involve participants in discussion and decisions about how to reduce potential harm? These are some examples of ethical decision making.

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