CASE STUDY
Claire Smith is a third year media student who is working on her dissertation proposal.
She is interested in investigating the impact of pandemic on young people’s mental
health, having had an experience of witnessing her 16 year old sister Molly struggling
through the lockdown. Her sister has shared her experience via social media and Claire
has also had access to various first person accounts that are publicly available. She is
thinking about using these accounts for her research. She has also had informal
conversations with her sisters’ friends about this topic. She has written about it on her
blog and is interested in developing this topic into a dissertation.
What are the ethical issues raised by her study?
When analysing her responsibilities as a researcher please consult the following
checklist
Does your research project require ethical review?
The following checklist should be used to determine whether your project falls within the scope
of the University’s Research Ethics Policy, and whether ethical review will be required (see
section 3 of the Research Ethics Policy for further information on the types of research that falls
within its scope).
Question Yes No
1 Will the project involve the participation of humans (eg interviews, surveys, focus groups, observations, photography, audio or video recording, physical activity or invasive/intrusive procedures)?
2 Will the research involve the use of bodily materials derived or obtained from humans?
3 Will the research require access to, collection of or use of personal human
data or property?
4 Does the research have the potential to expose any person, whether or not participating in the research, to physical or psychological harm?
5 Does the research have the potential for significant negative impact on or
damage to the natural environment?
6 Does the research have the potential for significant negative impact on
culture or cultural heritage?
7 Will the research involve non-human animal subjects? (Note: animal research should be reviewed by the Animal Welfare and Ethical Review Board, rather than through the three-tier Research Ethics Framework).
8 Are there are any other ethical issues raised by this research project that in the opinion of the applicant would warrant ethical review?
please read use the book Exploring Media Research : Theories, Practice, and Purpose by Andy Ruddock chapter 4