Kristen (Krissy) O’Hare Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling Research Assistant

1. The Ethics of Doing Oral History as a History Student at Concordia University Kristen (Krissy) O’Hare Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling Research Assistant September 2007

2. What This Workshop Will Cover • Human Research Ethics Review • WHY is ethics review necessary? • WHEN is it necessary? • How do I APPLY for ethics certification? • Seven Guiding Principles • Brainstorming • Doing Oral History Techniques

3. WHY is Human Research Ethics Review Necessary? • To ensure responsible conduct in research • To protect research subjects • To protect researchers Also, it is mandated by: • Tri-Council Policy Statement (1998) • Memorandum of Understanding (2002)

4. WHEN is Human Research Ethics Review Required? Required for ALL research involving human subjects… • Conducted by faculty, staff or students • Held on-site or elsewhere • Done in or outside Canada You MUST have ethics approval prior to do any research involving human subjects

5. WHEN is Human Research Ethics Review Required? Research involving human subjects includes: • collection of information through any interaction with a living person • secondary use of data previously collected from human subjects • use of identifiable private information about an individual • research involving human remains, cadavers, human organs, tissues and biological fluids, embryos or fetuses

6. WHEN is Human Research Ethics Review Required? Some exemptions… • Research about a living individual involved in the public arena, based on publicly available information • Research conducted using secondary analysis of datasets or coded samples - identity of subjects unknown

7. HOW do I Apply for Human Research Ethics Certification? What must be submitted? • Summary Protocol Form • Appendices: • Checklist • Project Description • Consent form • Sample interview/survey questions Forms can be downloaded from the OOR website: http://oor.concordia.ca/HRE/hre.shtml

8. HOW do I Apply for Human Research Ethics Certification in the History Department? WHERE should the SPF be submitted? • To your professor who will then pass them on to the department ethics officer (Dr. Mary Vipond) • The department ethics officer then a) grants approval or b) requests modifications before approval will be granted

9. Using Your Oral Histories • You must include the ethics application and original signed consent form(s) with any paper or assignments that draw on these materials • Your are not permitted to use interview material for which a consent form has not been submitted

10. Using Your Oral Histories • Confidential Interviews • As indicated by your original consent form your instructor will see the original names, but names or other identifying elements will not appear in the paper or assignment itself. • The instructor will be bound, just as the student is, to maintain confidentiality

11. Research Ethics & Oral History “Regardless of the purpose of the interviews, oral history should be conducted in the spirit of critical inquiry and social responsibility and with a recognition of the interactive and subjective nature of the enterprise.” -Oral History Association. Guidelines.

12. Seven Guiding Ethical Principles • Respect for human dignity • Respect for free and informed consent. -must be voluntary (given freely; may be withdrawn). -consent must be informed (statement of purpose; id of researchers; potential uses). • Respect for vulnerable persons.

13. Seven Guiding Ethical Principles 4.Respect for privacy and confidentiality - Privacy a “fundamental value”; breaches may cause harm. 5. Respect for Justice and Inclusiveness 6. Balance harms and benefits. 7. Minimize harm.

14. Your Responsibilities to the Interviewee and Public OHA Guidelines (additional points): • Fully explore all appropriate areas of inquiry; retain the integrity of the interviewee’s voice. • Use the best technology available. • Record candid information of lasting value. • Possess interviewing skills, professional competence, and knowledge.

15. Assessing Risk • Possible impact on subjects, on researchers, on third parties. • Takes into account physical, psychological and reputational harms. • Conduct a risk-benefit analysis.

16. Ethical Pitfalls…Let’s Brainstorming • How do you insure informed consent from a child, disabled person or the elderly? • What do you do when an interviewee withdrawals consent a day after the interview? A week later? A month later? A year later?

17. Doing Oral History • Explain the equipment to the interview BEFORE you arrive • Camera placement • Avoid windows (deep throat) • Eye level height • Slight angle • Framing • Sweeping pan of the room (at the end) • Record audio separately?

18. Doing Oral History “Poor camera work can make even the most interesting interview dull” Gordon Ritchie • Amateur filming will reduce the ultimate utility of the video • Studio or natural setting? Camera person? Tension between the interview and video production

19. Doing Oral History: Post Interview “Everyone recognizes that the core audio-video dimension of oral history is notoriously underutilized” Michael Frisch • Content is rarely indexed or made searchable --- we rely heavily on transcription • Transcription is costly, cumbersome and involves the loss of oraility at an early stage • Digital technologies are opening up new ways to work directly with audio and video recordings

20. Some Useful Links Centre for Oral History and Digitial Storytelling Ethics Page http://storytelling.concordia.ca/oralhistory/resources/tips/ethic.html Guidelines for Researchers Regarding the Ethics Review of Research Involving Human http://oor.concordia.ca/REC/guidelines.shtml Tri-Council Policy Statement - Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/pdf/TCPS%20October%202005_E.pdf Introductory Tutorial to the Tri-Council Policy Statement - Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans http://www.pre.ethics.gc.ca/english/tutorial/ Oral History Association Evaluation Guidelines http://omega.dickinson.edu/organizations/oha/pub_eg.html