This week we will talk about choosing and approaching community and local organisations, share experiences, possibilities and opportunities, and think about the ethical dimensions of this kind of
work. By now you should have begun to make contact with some possible organisations that you might like to work with. Please be prepared to discuss this. We will also touch briefly upon what is
required for the proposal and bibliography that is due after the mid-semester break.
Questions to Consider:
There are ethical issues involved when historians and other academics try to capture, understand or analyse the everyday experiences of the communities they study. What are some of the ethical
implications of observing, recording and interpreting the lives of others? Download and skim over a copy of the Human ethics application form (Humanities) here.
Read over the Participant Information sheet for this unit. Think about trying to frame your own research within the parameters set up by the application form. Be prepared to discuss whether you
think your project idea might need ethics approval.
Check out Michaela Ann Cameron’s Twitter account at: @SydneyHistory
Halse, Christine & Anne Honey. “Unraveling Ethics: Illuminating the Moral Dilemmas of Research Ethics.” Signs: Journal of Women in Culture & Society 30.4 (Summer 2005): 2141-162.
