1. Qualitative migration research ethics: a roadmap for migration scholars
- Author
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Ricard Zapata-Barrero and Evren Yalaz
- Subjects
Research ethics ,Higher education ,business.industry ,05 social sciences ,Vulnerability ,050301 education ,General Social Sciences ,Face (sociological concept) ,0506 political science ,Education ,Migration studies ,Reflexivity ,050602 political science & public administration ,Engineering ethics ,Sociology ,business ,0503 education ,Ethical code ,Qualitative research - Abstract
PurposeThis article aims to set a roadmap for an ethical programme, which we call “qualitative migration research ethics” (QMRE). It is a scoping review that maps current ethical challenges that migration scholars often face and provide guidance, while acknowledging the fact that many researchers deal with ethical issues on a case-by-case basis.Design/methodology/approachBy connecting three lines of debates – ethics in social sciences, in qualitative research and in migration studies – this article addresses the following core questions: What are the particular ethical dilemmas in qualitative migration research (QMR)? How do migration researchers deal with these ethical dilemmas? What is the role of universal ethical codes of conduct and case-by-case ethical considerations in dealing with particular situations?FindingsThis review demonstrates that special aspects of migration research context, e.g. participants' mobility, potential vulnerability and migration as a politicized issue as well as the flexible and exploratory nature of qualitative research require particular ethical awareness that cannot be sufficiently addressed by standardized guidelines.Originality/valueIt proposes that efforts to raise ethical awareness must go beyond researchers' ethical confessions or blind adherence to pre-fixed guidance. Researchers must have critical “ethical radar” before, during and after their fieldwork; not only while working on extreme and vulnerable cases but also while doing all kind of research regardless of the level of vulnerability. Last but not least, this article claims the need for including critical ethical consciousness substantially in higher education programmes at the very beginning of the research career.
- Published
- 2020
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