4. Data Collection and Ethics

About this Lecture

Lecture

In this lecture, we think about ethics and data collection, focusing in particular on: (i) sources of information from which to collect data, including the wealth of online sources made available over the past decade; (ii) the Stanford prison study as a famous example of a study criticised for unethical practices; (iii) the role of the British Psychological Society ethical guidelines; (iv) the nature of qualitative research to contain personal information; (v) some considerations to make when using media data in qualitative analysis; (vi) the four elements of Sullivan and Gibson’s qualitative kite.

Course

In this course, Dr Philippa Carr (University of the West of England) explores qualitative methods. In the first lecture, we think about what qualitative methods are and how they differ from quantitative methods. In the second lecture, we think about theoretical frameworks and how researchers can take different theoretical perspectives. In the third lecture, we think about thematic analysis, specifically the six stages of Braun and Clarke’s reflexive thematic analysis. Next, we think about ethics and data collection, as well as reviewing Sullivan and Gibson’s ‘qualitative kite’. In the fifth and final lecture, we think about how to apply qualitative methods, focusing on social influence and memory.

Lecturer

Dr Philippa Carr is a senior lecturer in qualitative research methods in the Department of Applied Sciences at the University of the West of England. Dr Carr’s research interests are in how the media presents wealth inequality and how public arguments for extreme wealth are used to legitimise inequality. Some of Dr Carr’s recent publications include '‘You come back fighting. That’s what gives you the drive to achieve’: The extraordinary psychological construction of the super-rich in entertainment documentaries' (2021) and 'Getting what you deserve?' (2022).