Dragging Along

I've been dragging through the muddy and messy ideas around getting research ethics approval for the SoTL project I'm doing. While I understand the need for doing this, I'm reluctant to 'start' because I don't know what I don't know. Once I get rolling, and start the process, I'm sure I can work through it. I'm not sure what it is that's stopping me from starting, pushing the log-in button and beginning the process. Maybe it's the fuzzy edges of the research plan and the vaporous nature of the research question. Maybe it's me, just being a reluctant researcher!

I know in my head that this experience will fundamentally shift me a step closer to this perceived 'researcher-ness'. It will help when I need to work on research applications and the OGS paperwork. So, what's holding me back?

Here's what I've done to prepare myself for research ethics approval process:

• watched the videos, more than once. I've read the supporting documentation, more than once.
• video - How to Apply for REB
• read the supporting documentation, more than once.
• Romeo Research Portal, Lakehead
• How To Apply for Certification through the Romeo Research Portal
• reviewed the TCPS policy statement Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, 2014 and dusted off my certificate.
• taken another look at the AOIR documents about ethical decision making and internet research. 
• finished reading a book chapter written by Christine Hine, Ethnographic Strategies for the Embedded, Embodied, Everyday Internet, found in Markham's book, Ethnography in the Digital Age.
• revisited the OER Ethical Guidelines manual from the OER Research Hub, written by Rob Farrow, [29.04.2013].

Some of my considerations from the OER Research Hub Ethical Guidelines include:

• "For all research activities an assessment of risk should be undertaken." p.6
• "Does the study involve participants who are particularly vulnerable or unable to give informed consent?" p.6
• "Will it be necessary for participants to take part in the study without their knowledge and consent at the time?" p.6
• "Social networking and other on-line activities, including their video-based environments, present challenges for consideration of consent issues and the participants must be clearly informed that 
their participation and interactions are being monitored and analysed for research.“ (BERA, 2011)" p.7
• "Where additional data is obtained through desk research or materials that are already publically available then no additional consent is required." p.8
• "it is important to think about a range of stakeholders who might be affected by the research and the responsibilities the project team have towards them" p.9

I should be ready for this challenge. I don't think I can fully prepare without knowing what's involved. Learning by doing is my plan. Let's get it done!

References and resources

Hine, C. (2015). Ethnographic Strategies for the Embedded, Embodied, Everyday Internet. In Annette Markham, Ethnography in the Digital Age. GBR: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Markham, A. & Buchanan, E. (2012).  Ethical Decision-Making and Internet Research: Version 2.0.  Available from http://aoir.org/reports/ethics2.pdf