Visual research ethics at the crossroads

Wiles, R; Clark, AJ; Prosser, J

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the
debates and practices that shape visual
research ethics. We outline the requirements
and expectations of institutional ethics review
boards and legal frameworks, for example,
regarding filming and photographing in
public and issues of copyright. We contend
that legal and institutional requirements
should not be the sole determinants when
making decisions about ethics, but rather
must be situated within the research context
and accommodated in a researcher’s individual
moral framework. We suggest that
visual methods, and the data they produce,
challenge some of the ethical practices
associated with word- and number-based
research, in particular around informed
consent, anonymity, and confidentiality, and
dissemination strategies. Overall, we argue
that research ethics are contested, dynamic
and contextual and, as such, are best
approached through detailed understanding
of the concrete, everyday situations in which
they are applied. The title of this chapter
‘Visual research ethics at the crossroads’ is
metaphorical, indicating that visual research
has reached an important juncture and signifying
it is timely to take stock and consider
future directions in ethical practice.

Citation

Wiles, R., Clark, A., & Prosser, J. (2011). Visual research ethics at the crossroads. In E. Margolis, & L. Pauwels (Eds.), The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods (685-706). Sage

• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2011
• Deposit Date: Jul 31, 2015
• Pages: 685-706
• Book Title: The SAGE Handbook of Visual Research Methods
• ISBN: 9781446268278
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446268278.n36
• Related Public URLs: http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781446268278 #sthash.vTaU57xa.dpuf