ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS OF RESEARCH

        There are number of issues that bring up new and special challenges for the Participant Observation, mainly as it is being practiced in cultural or social anthropology and in other allied disciplines (Banyard & Flanagan, 2013).

The interference between the researcher and the subjects of the study can be long term for the sake of study.

        There is broad range of relationships which are involved. Such as difference of status in 2 parties, educational and power differences along with degrees of formality.

        There are number of different settings which range from interpersonal interactions to observations real participants and public meetings in social events. There are several cases in which the study begins when the situation is new, different and unfamiliar to the researcher. This can make the presentation of researcher to the other people a sensitive point. Because of cultural differences several ethical problems arise, and such issues come into existence when research is been taken place in a known environment. Power differentials based upon gender, health, class etc. may require same extent of sensitivity. (Banyard & Flanagan, 2013).

        The ethical value differs from one place to another so there is a possibility that ethical values of research area differs from those of hometown or region of the researcher. The ethical principles can also differ on national, regional levels and can also differ among governmental and non-governmental organizations of the research region, or the fund sources (Salkind, 2010).

Role and relationships of the researcher which have potential to change over time.

In order to discuss such issues, there are few things a researcher must be aware of,

A researcher must be aware of his roles in society, as a researcher he must have more than one roles and sub roles.

        Researcher must be sensitive to issues such as gender, health, age, class and culture which can give birth to several ethical issues during the time of Observation Research.

        The researcher must be aware of the clashes of ethical issues, primary ethical obligations must be provided to people who are participating in research and are getting affected in any way. In few cases, researchers can compromise on some aspects of this principle.

Researcher must be aware of developing roles and relationships over the time and it has capability to give birth to new ethical issues.

STAGES IN RESEARCH PROGRAM of Observational Research

        Researchers are appreciated to think about the changing ethical rules and development of new ethical challenges, which can occur among different stages of observational research. There can be ethical issues even before the field work starts, upon entrance in field site, the problems which arise upon leaving the research site and finally the ethical issues which can arise due to doing an observational research based upon Participant Observation. Accurately because it gets difficult to tell every ethical issue that arises, the researchers who indulge in long term engagement with Participants Observation require questioning themselves on regular basis about the ethical issues which arise because of their research (Angrosino, 2007).

Technical Recording of Observational Research

        There can be a great number of informal interactions, observations, encounters and participations which are involved in this type of research along with several ethical issues which can arise. It should be noted that more technical practices give birth to their own particular ethical concerns. It includes mapping, filming, photographing, voice and video recording.