Video research should provide us with an approach where we can always question our methods, tools, and theories; where we consider how our actions as designers and members of a research community affect those we study.

                                                                                                      -Goldman, 2007, p. 34

The following are some key ethical considerations regarding the use of video in educational research:

Obtaining formal ethical approval

Issues of ethics are a primary concern at the outset and throughout your research project. A starting point could be seeking out information about the ethical codes and principles for your particular field through its professional associations. Also, in order to pursue your specific project, you will need to obtain formal approval from an institutional review board (IRB) or research ethics committee. The goal of this process is to ensure that researchers have considered and addressed the ethical issues of their particular research project and to ensure that care has been taken to protect the participants involved. Because some members of the research ethics committee may not be familiar with video-based research, it is also wise to provide some background to the approach of using video for research in your particular area.

The following questions demonstrate some of the conventional issues that concern research ethics committees:

• Does the study involve potentially vulnerable participants or those unable to give informed consent?
• Will participants take part in the study without their consent or knowledge or will deception of any sort be involved?
• Does the study involve the discussion of sensitive topics affecting individual respondents? (Heath, Hindmarsh, & Luff, 2010, p. 27)

Additionally, there are a number of ethical issues more specific to the tools and technologies inherent in the use of video that you should consider, such as: who has rights to the data, how long the data will be kept, copyright approval, preserving privacy and anonymity, and dissemination and presentation of results.

Here are some guidelines for storing and distributing data (Heath, Hindmarsh, & Luff, 2010, p. 29):

• Always make copies of all your original recordings and store them in a separate location.
• Store all data and collections in a secure location. If they are on computer they should be password protected.
• Do not place data on public websites unless you have explicit agreement from all the participants.
• Only provide copies of data to those who are authorized to use it as specified in the original agreements.
• If you have agreement to present fragments to research audiences, this may not include presentations being made available on stored media or websites. Be careful when distributing copies of your presentation material.
• Similarly, be careful when requests are made by others, like data archives, for your material; ensure that this does not contravene your agreements with participants. 

Gaining access to the research setting and maintaining ethical practices throughout the research process

In addition to obtaining formal ethical approval, gaining access and permission to record from participants and organizations is another key consideration. Generally, there are several levels of access to consider, including individual participants, managers in the particular organization, and other key stakeholders. Establishing trust is paramount at each level, whether you are attempting to secure physical access to a site or obtaining consent from individual participants who will be videotaped. Conducting preliminary fieldwork and meetings to understand all stakeholders’ concerns, maintaining clear communication throughout the project, as well as addressing participants’ concerns regarding the dissemination of the results all serve to establish a strong working relationship with your participants.

Formal ethical approval committees will be concerned with the issue of informed consent, and general considerations for written consent in qualitative research apply here as well: “Participants should not be placed under pressure to provide their consent and they should have the time and opportunity to raise questions and issues that may come to mind. Furthermore the consent form highlights their right to withdraw from the research at any stage” (Heath, Hindmarsh, & Luff, 2010, p. 17).

Simply stated, the overarching ethical challenge of video-based research in classrooms and other learning environments is to consider how our actions as researchers affect those we study (Goldman, 2007, p. 34).

 

References

Goldman, R. (2007). Video representations and the perspectivity framework: Epistemology, ethnography, evaluation, and ethics. In R. Goldman, R. Pea, B. Barron, & S. J. Derry (Eds.), Video research in the learning sciences, pp. 3-37. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Heath, C., Hindmarsh, J., & Luff, P. (2010). Access, ethics, and project planning. In Video in qualitative research: Analysing social interaction in everyday life (pp. 14-36). London: SAGE Publications Ltd.