Resources
Teaching Module on Ethics & Human Subjects
Before heading into the field—whether to observe, interview, or participate—you should consider carefully how your actions might impact the people you meet. This is as true for a researcher entering the field for an extensive, in-depth study as it is for a student working on a small class assignment. Click on the links below for resources to help prepare you to enter the field.
- The Ethics of Fieldwork Module: a teaching module designed to guide students t hrough the ethical dilemmas involved in conducting ethnographic research from proposal, to fieldwork, to publication.
- Codes of Ethics for Selected Fields: links to discipline specific codes of ethics
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Elon Unversity for guidelines about proposing and carrying out research involving human subjects.
- Sample IRB proposals for ethnography and community studies research. Be sure to familiarize yourself with IRB rules and regulations before adapting one of these samples.
- IRB Proposal Example for Unnamed Sources
- IRB Proposal Example for Named Sources
Teaching Module on Interviewing
PERCS has developed teaching modules to guide students through some of the key issues and methods involved in ethnographic fieldwork. These modules can be used by teachers or directly by students.
Interviewing: This module explores the process of in-depth interviewing, with tips about how to prepare, conduct, and interpret interviews, with a discussion of the benefits and limitations of this method of data collection. Also includes class exercises.
Teaching Module on Observation
PERCS has developed teaching modules to guide students through some of the key issues and methods involved in ethnographic fieldwork. These modules can be used by teachers or directly by students.
Observation: This module explores the process of focused field observation, with tips about conducting systematic and open-ended observation and a discussion of the benefits and limitations of this method of data collection. Also includes class exercises.
Teaching Module on Focus Groups
PERCS has developed teaching modules to guide students through some of the key issues and methods involved in ethnographic fieldwork. These modules can be used by teachers or directly by students.
Focus Groups: This module describes how to conduct qualitative research for gathering information, attitudes and opinions on a particular topic or issue in an interactive group setting.