Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad

Ethics and organisations
Informed consent
The capacity of an individual to give freely their informed consent
to research is a core principle in research ethics; it is a capacity that
can be diminished by a range of factors. One factor that is
commonly mentioned in research ethical guidelines is that of incentives.
It is common to reimburse research participants for any
out-of-pocket expenses in the human services but the notion of
voluntary consent is sometimes thought to be diminished if undue
enticement exists in the form of payment. On the other hand, some
organisations which routinely undertake social research with
low-income families, such as the Brotherhood of St Laurence in
Melbourne, have a policy of reimbursing research participants on
the ground that their time and knowledge is valued. The researcher
therefore needs to think through the issue in the context of their
specific project and consider what might constitute undue enticement
for particular participants.
A central issue in human service research is the complications
which arise when the researcher is also the service provider, as the
capacity of a client to withhold consent can be diminished by
the unequal power and the dependency typically entailed in the
worker–client relationship. Even where the researcher is not
the client’s worker, similar complexities might arise when the
research is being undertaken on behalf of, or in association with,
the agency from which the client is receiving a service, as the person
may be apprehensive about the possible withdrawal of the service
if they refuse to participate.
In some instances the agency commissions research and the relationship
between the agency and the researcher is governed by a
contract. Even if the research is externally funded, the researcher
may be located in an organisation such as a university which has
close links and an interdependent relationship with the agency. For
example, university departments that provide professional education
may be dependent upon the agency for the provision of
much-needed field placements for their students. Such factors can
and do influence the research process, and it is important that
arrangements of this kind do not adversely affect the interests of
research participants.
Thus, the researcher has a clear obligation to inform potential
research subjects that their access to services will not be affected
whether they agree to participate in the research or not, and that
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