[Air-l] ethnography and ethics

Susan Leong Susan.Leong at exchange.curtin.edu.au
Sat May 8 13:55:11 PDT 2004


Hi Eero

I think the others are quite right in thinking
1) it is always best to be open when conducting academic research.
2) that while not everyone has the same ethical standards, it is important
to have some guidelines, to set a standard. Naturally ethical standards vary
and it is up to the individual researcher as to how much they choose to
abide by any seet of guidelines. As you so rightly asked "who should judge
the ethics of another anyhow?"

You may have a point in thinking that research conducted at arm's length is
not necessarily more accurate but it is hopefully, more ethical. These sound
like two separate arguments about accuracy (authenticity?) and ethics to me.

The hoped for result of any academic research undertaken is that findings
are taken seriously and thought to have contributed to the chosen field of
study. That means your academic peers must be able to accept the standards
you adhered to when conducting your research. While one may choose instead
to be a member of the "school of unethical research" you would need alot
more members of this new school to make your research acceptable.

What I am really saying is, if one wants to be a member of any community,
whether research or otherwise, there are bound to be certain norms and
guidelines that govern how that community operates that one generally abides
by. That is not to say, of course, that one cannot challenge these
guidelines or exercise one's own judgement but to do so you must be ready to
risk being excluded. Of course, you could then start your own community. ;-)





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