Ethical Principles and Challenges for Qualitative Researchers

Abstract

The ethics of qualitative research are a reflection of the different procedures and tools that characterise this type of research. Due to its characteristic features (Wiles 2012) and its circular and interactive nature (Rodriguez et al. 2005), ethical problems continuously arise throughout the entire qualitative research process. There are certain ethical considerations that are common to both qualitative and quantitative research. However, in the field of social science where qualitative research techniques are more frequently applied, these ethical issues are considerably complex given that researchers are influenced by a number of aspects intrinsic to the nature of the human phenomena being researched and which affect decisions regarding technical and procedural matters, information management and even dissemination. This situation influences the expertise, ethical quality and commitment of the researcher in relation to the generation and analysis of the materials upon which the work is based and improving the understanding by the scientific community of the phenomenon studied (Aspers and Corte 2019).