Ethical Considerations

When conducting interviews in qualitative research projects, researchers are responsible for thinking about the various ethical concerns that might arise.[1] Among these ethical considerations are:

1. Informed Consent – When conducting qualitative interviews, one of the most important ethical considerations is obtaining informed consent from all participants who will be a part of the data collection. The researcher must inform the community/group/individuals of the topic of research, the methods, the purpose of the research, and how the researcher would maintain privacy and confidentiality 

2. Reflexivity – Reflexivity refers to the critical assessment of one’s own biases, identity, values, preferences, and preconceptions about the phenomenon being studied. This helps increase the credibility of the study. It is important for researchers to acknowledge and understand how these subjectivities on part of each researcher impact the research process. Reflexivity is a strength in research as it helps examine how each person’s subjective experiences contribute to the type of data collected and the way that research data might differ or change based on who is conducting it. 

3. Compensation – Researchers are expected to come into research settings with respect and an understanding of the values, needs, and beliefs of the participants. Participants are spending their time and effort to participate in the qualitative interviews and study. If possible, research participants should be compensated for the time they spend taking part in the study. This can be done monetarily, with a meal, or other non-coercive, approved forms of compensation. 

4. Potential Harm or Retraumatization – Researchers collecting data with human subjects are responsible for protecting the confidentiality of their participants and ensuring privacy. When engaging in qualitative interviews, it is important to consider any potential harms that could come to the participants and community members. These could include psychological harm, social harm, or legal harm. It is critical to recognize the impact of the research on vulnerable or marginalized groups, the repercussions should there be breach in confidentiality, and the power differentials that exist between a researcher and their participants.

Types of Consent

1. Written Consent – Written consent is used when the researcher and Institutional Review Board require participants to read and sign a consent form. This often occurs when the research study is complex or has multiple stages that can be difficult to verbally portray. Written consent is required before any data is collected from participants. Participants must have adequate timing between receiving the study information and providing written consent to consider their participation in the study and ask any questions. Written consent forms must be properly stored to ensure confidentiality.

2. Verbal Consent – Oral consent is obtained when the research topic is sensitive and written consent is a confidentiality concern. The researcher obtains verbal consent through a conversation with participant prior to engaging and data collection. Verbal consent is also used when literacy is a concern, if there are political/cultural concerns, when there are ethical concerns about having paper documentation of consent, if time for written consent is difficult, and when data collection occurs online/remotely.

3. Explicit Consent – Explicit consent is the most used type of consent. This requires a clear understanding of the project and a specific agreement to participate in the study.
4. Opt-in Consent – Opt-in consent occurs when participants give explicit consent to participate in the research. If participants do not opt-in to the study, they cannot participate in the study.

5. Opt-out Consent – Opt-out consent occurs when participants have to take away consent if they do not want to participate in the study. Participants are understood to have provided consent until withdrawn.

Conclusion

This article discusses the ethics of interviewing and obtaining consent when conducting qualitative research studies. The major ways to ensure that ethical considerations are a focus of the research study are to gain informed consent, practice reflexivity, compensating participants for their time, and ensure that there is minimal harm or retraumatizing that can be inflicted on the participants. There are multiple forms of consent and the type of consent is dependent on the study as well as the requirements of organizations or Institutional Review Boards.

Take Away

Obtaining consent and ensuring that the research is conducted in the most ethical manner is critical in qualitative research. There are many forms of consent and many ethical considerations that arise when conducting interviews.

[1] Salmons, J. (2017). Getting to yes: Informed consent in qualitative social media research. In The ethics of online research (pp. 109-134). Emerald Publishing Limited.