Unveiling Perspectives: Decolonising and Diversifying in Fine Arts at UAL
Image: Justyna Stasik
As an artist, academic and researcher, I am responsible for surveying with ethics in mind. Kelley, K., Clark, B., Brown, V. and Sitzia, J. (2003) state, ‘Two important ethical issues to adhere to when conducting a survey are confidentiality and informed consent’. Especially when the participants are potentially young people, and the sensitivities with mental health issues have become primary concern, particularly since Covid. The anticipated reaction can vary from no response to minor discomfort or anxiety to total frustration with complex or confusing queries. As a researcher, I know that privacy or the perception of being judged may contribute to negative responses or reluctance to participate. The following bullet points are considered to allow a positive experience.
- Consent form: the consent form communicates the purpose of the survey and obtains informed consent from participants before they begin. This ensures they are aware of what to expect.
- Pilot Testing: The questionnaire will be pilot-tested with 5 participants to identify potential issues and refine the questionnaire based on feedback.
- Clear Instructions: This may aid clarity and reduce confusion and anxiety.
- Sensitive language: the questionnaire will use neutral, non-threatening, and accessible language.
To safeguard vulnerable participants with learning needs/disabilities. Here are some of the strategies I have considered:
- Informed Consent: A clear explanation of the project will be communicated using accessible language (plain language).
- Ensuring participants understand their right to withdraw at any time. Privacy and Confidentiality: Participants will be informed of the confidentiality of the responses, and emphasis will be placed on protecting their privacy. No identifiable information will be used in the report to preserve the anonymity of participants.
- Supportive Environment: Participants will be provided a supportive and comfortable setting to complete the questionnaire so they don’t feel coerced into participating.
- Participants will have the option to skip questions or sections that they find uncomfortable. They can only share what they are willing to share.
- I will monitor the participants for any emotional/well-being during the questionnaire, and a debriefing session will be offered for any triggers that may have happened after the survey is collected.
References
Kelley, K., Clark, B., Brown, V. and Sitzia, J. (2003). Good Practice in the Conduct and Reporting of Survey Research. International Journal for Quality in Health Care, [online] 15(3), pp.261–266. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/intqhc/mzg031.
Image reference
Segalla, M. and Rouziès, D. (2023). The Ethics of Managing People’s Data. [online] Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/2023/07/the-ethics-of-managing-peoples-data.