ABSTRACT
Sometimes in our everyday lives we have to make difficult decisions. When there is no definitive ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer we use our individual morals and principles to guide our choices. Carrying out research can also be fraught with ethical dilemmas. Ethical research guidelines are codes of conduct which outline a system of moral principles which researchers are expected to follow. For ethical guidance, refer to the documents provided by your institution and the educational association you are most closely aligned to; for instance, this might be the British Educational Research Association (BERA), the American Educational Research Association (AERA) or the European Educational Research Association (EERA). The ethical guidelines outlined by BERA can be downloaded from their website: www.bera.ac.uk. The BERA ethical guidelines are underpinned by principles of respect for:
The person – treating them fairly, sensitively and with dignity. This applies to research participants and researchers as well.
Knowledge – we should respect the information that we gain from our research participants.
Democratic values – this means carrying out research in a way that is not authoritarian. Participants should take part in research voluntarily, and have ownership over the information that they give to researchers.
The quality of educational research – this means conducting research to the highest standard and not sensationalising research findings.
Academic freedom – being able to put forward new ideas and ask questions, but not abusing this privilege.
