Evolving friendships and shifting ethical dilemmas: fieldworkers' experiences in a short term community based study in Kenya

Kamuya, Dorcas M, Theobald, Sally ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9053-211X, Munwoki, Patrick K, Koech, Dorothy, Geissler, Wenzel P and Molyneux, Sassy C (2013) 'Evolving friendships and shifting ethical dilemmas: fieldworkers' experiences in a short term community based study in Kenya'. Developing World Bioethics, Vol 13, Issue 1, pp. 1-9.

Preview

Text Kamuya_et_al-2013-Developing_World_Bioethics.pdf Download (181kB) | Preview

Abstract

Fieldworkers (FWs) are community members employed by research teams to support access to participants, address language barriers, and advise on culturally appropriate research conduct. The critical role that FWs play in studies, and the range of practical and ethical dilemmas associated with their involvement, is increasingly recognised. In this paper, we draw on qualitative observation and interview data collected alongside a six month basic science study which involved a team of FWs regularly visiting 47 participating households in their homes. The qualitative study documented how relationships between field workers and research participants were initiated, developed and evolved over the course of the study, the shifting dilemmas FWs faced and how they handled them. Even in this one case study, we see how the complex and evolving relationships between fieldworkers and study participants had important implications for consent processes, access to benefits and mutual understanding and trust. While the precise issues that FWs face are likely to depend on the type of research and the context in which that research is being conducted, we argue that appropriate support for field workers is a key requirement to strengthen ethical research practice and for the long term sustainability of research programmes.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	field workers, research ethics, social relations, developing countries, benefit sharing, consent processes, household studies
Subjects:	WA Public Health > WA 20.5 Research (General)
Faculty: Department:	Clinical Sciences & International Health > International Public Health Department
Digital Object Identifer (DOI):	https://doi.org/10.1111/dewb.12009
Depositing User:	Faye Moody
Date Deposited:	02 Feb 2016 11:07
Last Modified:	06 Feb 2018 13:11
URI:	https://archive.lstmed.ac.uk/id/eprint/5397

Statistics

View details

Actions (login required)

Edit Item