Ethical Research Practices across Disciplinary Boundaries: The Process of Research Involving Children with a Visual Impairment

摘要

Despite the plethora of papers reporting evidence from studies examining aspects of child development, there was until quite recently a dearth of literature on the ethical implications of research involving children and vulnerable groups. To inform the debate, this paper begins by drawing a distinction between ethical and methodological approaches to research. It continues with a discussion of the evolution of recent legislative changes that some attribute to the 22 unethical studies exposed by Beeches in the 1960s. The final section takes as its focus the practical application of these ethical practices to one aspect of a large-scale evaluation of the mobility, independence and life skills training available to children and young people aged 0-19 years of age with a visual impairment in Northern Ireland. The impact of ethical considerations on the design and progress of a research project that crosses disciplinary boundaries, and involves children and vulnerable groups, is discussed. The findings suggest that careful pre-planning with slippage time incorporated at the design stage of a research project may mitigate against delays and frustration.