ABSTRACT
This chapter directs the attention of the reader to ethical considerations that may occur while conducting qualitative research within a healthcare setting. Considerations are defined here as the application of continuous and applied thought. The authors discuss some of the ethical choices necessary and the often unintended consequences of those choices when conducting an ethnographic project. Topics discussed include emergent design, the interview, data collection, the member-check, data-conversion, and the effects of external influences on the trustworthiness of a study’s findings. The authors offer cautionary advice through anecdotal examples from their personal experiences in an attempt to encourage interest and understanding of the difficulties within qualitative/ethnographic investigations in the medical healthcare field and to stimulate dialogue amongst future researchers.
