Ethical issues

Ethical issues are discussed largely in research conduct literature (e.g., Barrett & Stauffer, 2009a; Boeije, 2010; Clandinin & Connelly, 1994; Sargeant & Harcourt, 2012). The ethical guidelines provided by the Finnish Advisory Board on Research Integrity were followed throughout this research process aiming to the responsible conduct of research (Ethical principles..., 2009; The responsible..., 2012). The guidelines for responsible conduct of research (2012) were followed concerning, for instance 1) issues of accuracy in conducting research, and in recording, presenting, and evaluating the research results; and 2) the methods applied for data acquisition as well as for research and evaluation, which aimed to conform to scientific criteria and be ethically sustainable. In the publications I aimed to communicate the research results in an open and responsible fashion. I have also aimed to 3) take account of the work of other researchers by respecting their work, citing their publications appropriately, and giving their achievements the credit and weight they deserve. The guidelines for 4) complying with the standards set for scientific knowledge in the planning and conducting of research, in the reporting of research results and in the recording of data obtained during the research; as well as for 5) acquiring the necessary research permits; and 6) being aware of the researchers’ rights, responsibilities, obligations, and questions concerning archiving and accessing the data were also followed. Finally, 7) sources of financing and conflicts of interest or other commitments relevant to the conduct of research were consistently reported when they existed (e.g., mentioning grants, teacher- researcher stance, and co-writing in Article 1). (see The responsible..., 2012).

83 It is also possible to argue that my familiarity with the students could have made the analysis more difficult because of the personal involvement.

The following section addresses the responsible conduct of research as described by the Ethical principles (2009). This involves 1) respecting the autonomy of research subjects; 2) avoiding harm; and 3) privacy and data protection. These issues were of special concern in article three which is based on the experiences of the students and deals with the narrations of their personal experiences.

Respecting the autonomy of research subjects (Ethical principles, 2009, p. 5) was

seen as an important issue. As the interviewed students were ‘minors’ (aged 11–16), special attention was put to into treating them respectfully and equally as required by The Constitution of Finland (1999, Suomen perustuslaki)84 _{and Articla 12 of the UN} Convention on the Rights of the Child (2015). Participation in the research was voluntary and based on “informed consent” (e.g., Boeije, 2010, p. 45). Permission for the students to participate in the recorded interviews was requested from the school principals.

As the guardian has the right to decide on a child’s personal matters, the consent of both the guardian and student were required in order to respect the students’ autonomy and the principle of voluntary participation (Ethical principles, 2009 p. 7). All were informed that I had been the students’ teacher and that the topic of the recorded interview was the students’ experiences of songcrafting (see Appendix 5). The consent form included my contact information in case they wished to ask for additional information regarding the study. The participants were also informed that they had the right to choose whether to take part in the interview.

Avoiding harm, as mentioned in Ethical principles (2009), and “treating subjects with

respect and reporting findings in a respectful way” (p. 8) was of great importance. As the study included interaction in the form of interviews, the importance of treating the students “politely and with respect for their human dignity” (p. 8) was important. I aimed to make each interview an appreciative encounter.

Seeing the interview situation as a co-constructed process (Riessman, 2008, pp. 31–32) I aimed to give space for the students’ thoughts by formulating open-ended questions and using ‘attentive interviewing’ (Boije, 2010, p. 63) and ‘attentive listening’ (Riessman, 2008, p. 26). Such conversational forms are seen by Clandinin and Connelly (1994, p. 422) as supporting equality, flexibility and caring for the experience described by the other.

Entering into a research relationship with my former students required an awareness of the ethical dimensions of the researcher-participant relationships were crucial, for there was the potential to ‘shape their lived, told, relived, and retold stories’ (Clandinin & Connelly, 1994, p. 422). As reflected upon in Article 3, although my position as their former teacher may be seen as problematic due to power issues (e.g., if the students have the courage to be honest with a former teacher), knowing the students and the local ‘micro’ context (Riessman, 2008, p. 54), or the ‘scene’ (see Clandinin & Connelly, 1994, p. 416), also had benefits.

In Finland it is common for the classroom teacher to travel with her class from one grade to the next, thereby enabling deep knowledge of one’s students. This was the case for me. Thus, our former shared situations and my knowledge of these situations from the inside enabled me to create interviews situations where the atmosphere was sensitive, and this comfort and trust between the researcher and interviewee enabled a “more open and giving” sharing of experiences (Polkinghorne, 1983, p. 267). However, I acknowledge, that for some students it may have been more difficult to express their experiences to their former teacher, especially in the case of their negative experiences.

Privacy and data protection. The protection of privacy, a right protected by the

Constitution of Finland, includes the protection of the data throughout the collection and processing of research data and the publication of results (Ethical principles, 2009, p. 9). Although the data for this inquiry does not include any deeply delicate or sensitive matters, confidential and respectful writing concerning those studied was an aim throughout the writing and publishing process, for instance pseudonyms were used to respect privacy and maintain anonymity (Ethical principles, 2009, p. 9). Care was taken in handling and storing of the data, for instance by storing the data only in personal computers, personal external hard drives, and in printed form. The data will continue to be stored in these locations after the completion of the research. While collecting data through interviews, creating field texts, and writing the research, great importance was given to the emotional and ethical aspects, such as care and responsibility for the research participants, anonymity and fictionalizing (see Barrett & Stauffer, 2009a; Boeije, 2010; Clandinin & Connelly, 1994).