Ethical and practical considerations for including marginalised groups in quantitative survey research

Adley, M.; Alderson, H.; Jackson, K.; McGovern, W.; Spencer, L.; Addison, M.; O'Donnell, A.

Abstract

This paper considers the ethical and practical issues of recruiting for, and administering a quantitative survey with marginalised populations. These issues were identified through a focus group discussion, which consolidated and expanded upon informal conversations held previously by five researchers about their experiences of conducting a face-to-face survey (using predominantly quantitative questions) with people who used amphetamine type stimulant drugs in North East England, UK. Inductive and deductive thematic analysis of the focus group discussion led to the generation of three key themes: researcher positionality, emotions, and role dilemmas; study design; and ethics in practice. This paper therefore aims to extend literature which explores ethical and practical issues involved in studies with marginalised populations. It makes methodological suggestions for how work across a range of disciplines could make face-to-face survey research, and future studies with marginalised populations, more inclusive for both participants and researchers.

Citation

Adley, M., Alderson, H., Jackson, K., McGovern, W., Spencer, L., Addison, M., & O'Donnell, A. (online). Ethical and practical considerations for including marginalised groups in quantitative survey research. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 27(5), 559-574. https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2023.2228600

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jun 12, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Jul 11, 2023
• Deposit Date: Jun 20, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Jul 26, 2023
• Journal: International Journal of Social Research Methodology
• Print ISSN: 1364-5579
• Electronic ISSN: 1464-5300
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 559-574
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13645579.2023.2228600
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1169480
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/tsrm20