Week 7 Kaitlin

Hi everyone, I hope all your research proposal tweaking and peer review prepping is going well. 

In this week's blog post I wanted to touch on some new and interesting concepts discussed in the readings and the pre lecture videos. Previous to this course, I had the experience of working on a molecular epidemiology research project where was able to learn about ethics in qualitative research as well as the process of applying to receive ethics approval. Even thought I do have some knowledge when it comes to ethics, I really enjoyed expanding my perspective on the topic through learning about ethics in qualitative research and in social media. Specifically, I really enjoyed learning about how there are different ethic boards for different population groups, such as Indigenous Peoples (OCAP) as well as the importance of considering group vulnerability when creating a research design. I feel that considering psychological vulnerability may be important in my own research, especially in my sampling methods, as many people have been experiencing stress on their psychological and mental health due to factors caused by the pandemic. 


Comments

  1. AdenOctober 30, 2020 at 8:32 AM

    Hi Kaitlin,

    I also think that this is a really interesting issue in research. I think that in academia and in professional settings, treating patients, clients, or participants with respect and dignity, especially if they are vulnerable, is something that is not talked about enough. Ethics boards often attempt to lay out broad principles for how to treat participants but in practice, we as researchers, do not receive training for how to properly engage with participants. Universities place the priority on ideas and conducting studies that can get published but do not necessarily have the time or capacity to teach how to interact with participants.

    I think that it is important in a study to not only conduct the study properly but also to treat participants with dignity and respect. I can offer a couple tips that I have found useful when working with vulnerable clients (these may be obvious). First, it is important to listen. Depending on if the resesarch type allows for extra conversation, listening to and receiving participant stories can make the participant feel comfortable and build trust. It is also important to validate the way the participant feels. This is another way to build trust and to build the dignity of participants. I have found that doing this comes fairly naturally during meetings with and helps build rapport even when there is an imbalanced power dynamic.

    Aden

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    Replies
    1. KaitlinNovember 4, 2020 at 6:07 AM

      Hi Aden, thank you so much for sharing your insights and experiences! I feel your suggestion to listen is especially important to my own project, as I will be interviewing the participants. Remembering to listen will be especially important, as these interviews will likely be conducted over zoom where I find it can be difficult to gauge if the individual is finished talking.

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