1a. Are you allowed to observe people for research without consent?
The British Sociological Association, for example, suggests that As far as possible
participation in sociological research should be based on the freely given informed consent
of those studied. (BSA, 2002, s.16.)
You may need to get permission from someone in charge of the setting (e.g. the manager),
but if conducting observational research in public places, it may also be a good idea to let
relevant organisations know that you are doing your research.
Research which intrudes into the private space of the individual, without that person’s
consent, breaches that person’s rights.
However people who are observed in public are not entitled to have consent sought unless
they are in circumstances where “any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside
the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability.
In the case of research into organisations, human subjects are involved because of their
organisational roles, and personal material is left aside. Normally the only consent that
would be sought would be the consent of the organisation, not of each person who works
for it.
Published codes of ethics tend to be vague about the distinction between public and private,
but the Social Research Association mentions it explicitly: there can be no reasonable
guarantee of privacy in ‘public’ settings since anyone from journalists to ordinary members
of the public may constitute ‘observers’ of such human behaviour and any data collected
thereby would remain, in any case, beyond the control of the subjects observed. (SRA, 2003,
p 33)
b. Can you rescind consent after research has been completed?
Consent must be freely given and can be freely withdrawn at any time. Whether consent
was given orally or in writing does not affect the patient's ability to change or withdraw
consent.
The voluntary nature of participation in research requires the investigators to inform each
participant they may discontinue participation in an ongoing research study, without penalty
or loss of benefits to which they may be otherwise entitled. A participant can leave a
research study at any time. When withdrawing from the study, the participant should let the
research team know that they wish to withdraw. A participant may provide the research
team with the reason(s) for leaving the study, but is not required to provide their reason.
According to the UK Data Service - Considerations for researchers dealing with participants
wishing to withdraw: If a participant requests retroactive withdrawal of all their contributed
data, seek a meeting to explain to the participant the costs of this to the project. Discuss
whether some of the data could be kept/used, for example if data can be completely
anonymised. Consider the ethical duty to the participant and the risk to a project – loss of
goodwill can offset any possible gain by retaining the data.
2. Do you have a moral obligation to report a crime whilst carrying out research?
Researchers have the same legal obligations that they would have in any other context, as
citizens or legal residents. As a private member of society, there is, however, no general
legal obligation in the UK to report to the relevant authorities all illegal activity that one
observes or learns about. However, there may be moral obligations to report in the
following circumstances: 1. It may be a requirement of access, imposed by any relevant
gatekeeper; 2. It may be a condition of research funding; 3. It may be a tradition within the
The British Sociological Association, for example, suggests that As far as possible
participation in sociological research should be based on the freely given informed consent
of those studied. (BSA, 2002, s.16.)
You may need to get permission from someone in charge of the setting (e.g. the manager),
but if conducting observational research in public places, it may also be a good idea to let
relevant organisations know that you are doing your research.
Research which intrudes into the private space of the individual, without that person’s
consent, breaches that person’s rights.
However people who are observed in public are not entitled to have consent sought unless
they are in circumstances where “any disclosure of the human subjects' responses outside
the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability.
In the case of research into organisations, human subjects are involved because of their
organisational roles, and personal material is left aside. Normally the only consent that
would be sought would be the consent of the organisation, not of each person who works
for it.
Published codes of ethics tend to be vague about the distinction between public and private,
but the Social Research Association mentions it explicitly: there can be no reasonable
guarantee of privacy in ‘public’ settings since anyone from journalists to ordinary members
of the public may constitute ‘observers’ of such human behaviour and any data collected
thereby would remain, in any case, beyond the control of the subjects observed. (SRA, 2003,
p 33)
b. Can you rescind consent after research has been completed?
Consent must be freely given and can be freely withdrawn at any time. Whether consent
was given orally or in writing does not affect the patient's ability to change or withdraw
consent.
The voluntary nature of participation in research requires the investigators to inform each
participant they may discontinue participation in an ongoing research study, without penalty
or loss of benefits to which they may be otherwise entitled. A participant can leave a
research study at any time. When withdrawing from the study, the participant should let the
research team know that they wish to withdraw. A participant may provide the research
team with the reason(s) for leaving the study, but is not required to provide their reason.
According to the UK Data Service - Considerations for researchers dealing with participants
wishing to withdraw: If a participant requests retroactive withdrawal of all their contributed
data, seek a meeting to explain to the participant the costs of this to the project. Discuss
whether some of the data could be kept/used, for example if data can be completely
anonymised. Consider the ethical duty to the participant and the risk to a project – loss of
goodwill can offset any possible gain by retaining the data.
2. Do you have a moral obligation to report a crime whilst carrying out research?
Researchers have the same legal obligations that they would have in any other context, as
citizens or legal residents. As a private member of society, there is, however, no general
legal obligation in the UK to report to the relevant authorities all illegal activity that one
observes or learns about. However, there may be moral obligations to report in the
following circumstances: 1. It may be a requirement of access, imposed by any relevant
gatekeeper; 2. It may be a condition of research funding; 3. It may be a tradition within the
