Ethical Issues in Cross-Cultural Research

Abstract

In the current postmodern context, researchers are challenged with how to conduct and disseminate research in an ethical manner. Cross-cultural contexts and multidisciplinary research teams present particular challenges. Many issues need to be addressed: values and worldviews, definitions, research design, informed consent, entry into the field, confidentiality, approaches to data collection, participant roles, ownership of data, writing, representation, and dissemination of results. There are multiple and complex cultural and contextual differences among researchers, among participants, and between researchers and participants. Increasingly, it is recognized that existing ethical codes and research paradigms do not sufficiently address these issues. Informational meetings, detailed letters of consent, and reviews of interview transcripts do not in them- selves ensure that prospective participants fully understand the purposes and potential consequences of involvement in a research study. The perspective of community ethics suggests that representation of multiple voices, enhancement of moral discernment, and promotion of social change are critical components of ethical research. The research process needs to be reciprocal and collaborative, with research participants and research- ers working together to shape the conception and definition of the research. In this paper, these ethical issues are discussed, within the context of two interdiscipli- nary research projects investigating health-related issues for youth as a result of social and economic restructuring.