Ethics in qualitative research - Melanie Mauthner

`It is a book worth reading because of the centrality of ethics in all research. It is useful for those of us who serve on ethics committees, as it makes us think beyond and question the formal guidelines' -

Qualitative Research Journal

'The problems described in this book would certainly be extremely interesting to researchers who are about to investigate highly sensitive areas such as abused women, children etc - From this perspective it is a valuable tool for feminist researchers . their detailed discussion of potentially problematic situations contributes to the debate about ethical issues in feminist research' - Nursing Ethics

This book examines the theoretical and practical aspects of ethical dilemmas in qualitative research.

To many researchers, `ethics' has been associated with following ethical guidelines and gaining ethics approval from academic bodies. However, the complexities of researching private lives and placing accounts in the public arena increasingly raise ethical issues which are not easily solved by rules and guidelines. This book addresses the gap between research practice and ethical principles that inform it, focusing on responsibility and accountability in applied feminist research practice.

The book explores ethical issues in research from a range of angles, including:

- Access and informed consent

- Negotiating participation

- Rapport

- The intentions of feminist research

- Epistemology and data analysis

- Tensions between being a professional researcher and a `caring' professional

The book includes practical guidelines to aid ethical decision-making rooted in feminist ethics of care.

Ethics in Qualitative Research is designed for academics, professionals and students carrying out research, and is a timely teaching text for ethics in research across the social sciences.