Research Ethics Workshop

A research ethics one-day workshop was hosted by St Patrick's College on 2 May, primarily to cater for the needs of members of the College Research Ethics Committee, the
College Research Committee, Heads of Departments and members of academic staff with particular concerns in this area of research.

The workshop was facilitated by Dr Anthony Wrigley and Dr Andrea Boggio, Centre for Professional Ethics, Keele University.

The objectives of the course were that attendees should acquire:
(i) An appreciation of the kinds of ethical issues that arise in research
conducted in the higher education sector;
(ii) An understanding of the role that a University Ethics Committee might
have in deciding about these matters;
(iii) An ability to identify and analyse a range of the ethical issues which University Ethics Committees face regularly.

Four sessions addressed
· Definitions and varieties of research
· Justifications for research
· Way in which research can be ‘good’
· Balancing harms and benefits
· Ethical constraints in practice
· Validity of consent, information and deception, voluntariness, competence and related issues
· Confidentiality

The first session focused on a case study about a research project that raised different ethical concerns (risk of harm, scientific merits of the proposal, consent and deception etc.). The second session addressed how these concerns can be organised to provide a systematic way of dealing with ethical issues in the research context.

The third session explored, through case studies, many of the ethical difficulties that arise in relation to different forms of research (e.g. qualitative methods (surveys, interviews and focus groups etc), population research, audit etc.). It posed the question, how can Higher Education Institutions manage and minimize problems, especially in relation to student research.

The day ended with a roundtable discussion in issues that relate to the College's remit in relation to education research project and the preparation of students for research in this area. Among these was the question of the devolution of the ethical review of research projects.

 

 

Last Updated: Thursday September 21 2006