Seeking Informed Consent: Reflections on Research Practice

Researchers should not treat research ethics as pertinent only when conducting particular types of research, with particular types of participants, or at certain points in the research process. This article looks at the issue of securing informed consent where adequate standards and sufficient compliance are revealed to be social constructs. Using the case of a mixed method research project, this article illustrates the demands of securing informed consent when using external agencies as intermediaries; the changing demands on research participants as a result of the scope of research; the different levels of participation required from respondents throughout different phases of the project; and the impossibility of expecting a standard response from all individuals within a research team due to the contingent nature of negotiating and maintaining consent during interviews. The fluidity of consent demands a more reflexive approach to its engagement. Ritualistic adherence to ethical procedures is thus inadequate.