Confidentiality in participatory research: Challenges from one study

Area of Science:

• Nursing Research
• Qualitative Methodology
• Ethical Considerations in Research

Background:

• Researching small, identifiable groups like practice development nurses in Malta presents unique confidentiality challenges.
• Potential for researcher-induced harm and compromised research trustworthiness necessitates careful ethical navigation.
• Existing ethical guidelines may not fully address the nuances of qualitative fieldwork with specific populations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present key ethical challenges encountered in a participatory qualitative research project.
• To highlight strategies for addressing ethical issues when researching small, easily identifiable groups.
• To enhance the credibility and quality of qualitative research through robust ethical practices.

Main Methods:

• Exploratory case study methodology.
• Face-to-face interviews with 10 participants over 2 months.
• Ethical review by university committees and informed participant consent.

Main Results:

• Various strategies were employed to ensure confidentiality at all research stages: recruitment, data collection, transcription, analysis, and dissemination.
• These strategies effectively addressed potential and actual ethical issues.
• The implementation of these methods fostered participant trust and encouraged open disclosure.

Conclusions:

• Effective strategies for managing ethical challenges in research with small, identifiable groups were identified.
• The discussed methods are potentially transferable to other similar research contexts.
• Ethical rigor enhanced research credibility, participant trust, and the overall quality of the study.