Publication series
Designed to complement BERA’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fifth edition (2024)
BERA’s Research Ethics Case Studies, edited by Sin Wang Chong and Alison Fox, complement BERA’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research, fifth edition (2024) by giving concrete examples of how those guidelines can be applied during the research process.
Annotations in the margins of each case study document indicate where, among the numbered paragraphs of BERA’s Ethical Guidelines, readers can find full advice on the issues raised. The annotations include hyperlinks to the relevant passages of the guidelines.
For a full account of ethical best practice as recommended by BERA, researchers should refer to our Ethical Guidelines, which these case studies are intended to illustrate without themselves offering guidance or recommendations.
The series includes the following case studies:
Extended versions of these case studies will feature in a forthcoming book to be published in 2025 in partnership between BERA and Bloomsbury, Ethical Dilemmas in Educational Research.
Three further case studies, developed alongside the fourth edition of the Ethical Guidelines (2018), are available here and cover: Twitter, data collection and informed consent; researcher wellbeing and international fieldwork; and anticipating the application and unintended consequences of practitioner research.
Director of Research & Director of Impact and Innovation at University of St Andrews
Sin Wang (Ph.D., SFHEA, FRSA) is Director of Research and Director of Impact and Innovation at the International Education and Lifelong Learning Institute, University of St Andrews. Concurrently, he is Honorary Research Professor, Head of...
Senior Lecturer at The Open University
Dr Alison Fox is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the Open University in the School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, an Associate Head of School (Research and Knowledge Exchange), chair of the University’s Human Research Ethics...
This case study considers some of the ethical issues related to sustainability and environmental responsibility in relation to educational research. It highlights how environmental implications...
This case study examines some of the ethical issues involved in ‘insider’ research. It highlights the importance of thinking through and anticipating potential conflicts of interest when...
This case study considers the ethical issues that can arise when conducting participatory research with young people. It highlights the nuanced nature of participation preferences and the ethical...
This case study explores ethical issues that arise for researchers working with young people. This includes the right of young people to contribute their experiences and opinions in a way that...
