Challenges to anonymity and representation in educational qualitative research in a small community: a reflection on my research journey

Abstract

This paper outlines my research journey, specifically in relation to the challenges I faced in anonymising and representing my research participants. Anonymity is an important ethical procedure and every researcher is expected to ensure that his or her research participants are protected. Although ethical guidelines are written to inform and guide researchers, how these guidelines are interpreted by novice researchers can present some formidable challenges to those carrying out research in different cultural contexts. One of the dilemmas that I faced as a new researcher from the Maldives was how I was going to anonymise my participants as they came from such a small community. This became a concern because one of the underlying aims of the qualitative action research I was conducting myself and also facilitating with the teachers required me to represent their voices fairly in my research study. However, the small size and the hierarchical nature of the community, together with my identity as a researcher and a former teacher educator, posed some difficulties. My perception of anonymity as a rigid set of guidelines also prevented me from negotiating issues relating to anonymity and representation with my participants. Based on my experience, I conclude that while ethical procedures are necessary, it is still important to explore ways of situating these within our own cultural systems. Ethics should be approached as a negotiable process from the beginning to the end of the research process.