Research Intelligence issue 136: Ethical issues in educational research

This special issue on research ethics accompanies the publication of the new, fourth edition of BERA’s Ethical Guidelines for Educational Research. In a series of articles it considers how current methodological, technological and social developments affect and inform our notions of ethical conduct for researchers across a diverse range of contexts, and how fundamental and arguably timeless ethical concerns – including avoiding harm, seeking informed and ongoing consent, and treating participants with respect – need to be considered anew by each researcher for each project.

This issue explores:

• the revisions to the new edition of the BERA Ethical Guidelines, in a behind-the-scenes account
• respectful representation of vulnerable and stereotyped communities
• the ethical challenges of practitioner research involving secondary school students
• developing strategies that enable the consenting voices of young children to be heard
• the ethical challenges attendant on research utilising large-data sets and social media
• questions around ethical boundaries.