ABSTRACT
‘Anon’ raises numerous ethical and value questions – both practical and theoretical. Adopting the ethical standards into creative practice can vary from applying simple or obvious enhancements to research to encountering matters that are far more complex and may require nuanced thinking about ethical components of the research. The project had obtained institutional approval – both as an approved Higher Degree by research program and through the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC). An important element is that the research approach needs clarity and that dialogue with peers and with an HREC may necessitate adjustments to the research methodology and encourage more creative thinking about how to engage with the recipients of the art. An underlying difficulty, which both researchers and HRECs wrestle with, is whether normative approaches to ethics in research end up preventing at least some challenging and valuable research from being conducted. Researchers commonly seek to push the boundaries and HRECs, rightly, seek to protect participants.
