Ethics workshop: the ethics of informed consent

Informed Consent

Informed consent is a key legal and ethical principle in the conduct of research involving human subjects, but what does it mean for researchers in practice? This session will provide an overview of the obligations upon researchers to ensure that participants have provided their informed consent. The session will cover basic principles and consider how informed consent is assured in various different contexts such as in-depth interviews, ethnography, social media, research with children and vulnerable individuals, ‘second-hand’ participation (such as when images of others are produced by research participants), deception and covert research, and data-sharing. The session will provide lots of advice about how to manage processes of informed consent in practice, including in situations where it may become tricky to navigate. Participants are invited to bring their own questions and dilemmas to the session for discussion.

Note: This session is foundational for the course coming later in the schedule on ‘Conducting Sensitive Interviews’ (30 May) and students intending to attend that course are strongly urged to attend this session on informed consent

Facilitator: Josie Dixon

Josie is an Assistant Professorial Research Fellow in PSSRU, Department of Health Policy, LSE. As an academic, and in previous policy research roles, Josie has conducted a wide range of sensitive research, including with older people who have experienced abuse, adults planning for end of life care, people who have been bereaved in difficult circumstances, people with dementia and their carers, children about recreational drug use, care home residents, people participating in riots and adults about their sexual behaviour.