As an employability educator at UAL and someone just starting out on my PgCert in Academic Practice, I’m at the beginning of my action research journey. My project aims to create a Career Day Programme for Foundation students to explore how embedding early career conversations can boost employability and support UAL’s graduate outcomes. But before jumping into any interviews or data collection, I had to pause and think carefully about the ethical implications of involving both staff and students in my research. This reflective process really started when I was writing my Ethical Action Plan Worksheet and received feedback from my tutor, Karen, which helped me fine-tune my approach.
Starting with Ethics: Informed Consent and Data Protection
One of the first things I tackled in the Ethical Action Plan was informed consent. Since I’ll be interviewing staff and sending out surveys to the Careers & Employability (C&E) team, it’s crucial that everyone knows exactly what they’re signing up for. This means explaining the project’s aims clearly, detailing how the data will be used, and reassuring participants that their involvement is entirely voluntary. To make this as straightforward as possible, I’ll be preparing a simple consent form that I’ll ask all participants to sign before we start. Karen’s feedback highlighted the importance of making sure participants know they can withdraw at any time, so I’ll emphasise that in every conversation, ensuring they feel fully in control.
Another important focus was data protection. I’ll be collecting a lot of valuable insights from staff and students, so protecting their privacy is essential. My plan is to anonymise all responses from interviews and surveys, so no individual can be identified. Karen also encouraged me to think carefully about how I store this data—both digitally and physically—so I’ll be using encrypted digital storage and keeping any physical notes in a secure, locked space. Only I and the data specialist from C&E will have access to this information, so I feel confident that I’m taking all the right steps to keep it safe.
Navigating the Ethical Dilemma of Recording Interviews
Recording interviews is one area where I’ve had to think extra carefully. On one hand, it’s really helpful for accuracy and ensuring I capture everything discussed. But on the other hand, it can feel invasive if not handled properly. Karen’s feedback was really helpful here. She reminded me that transparency is key—participants should always feel comfortable and in control of the process. So, I’ll be upfront about the option to record interviews and make sure I have clear, recorded consent before hitting “record.” If anyone feels uncomfortable, I’ll happily take notes instead. This simple change in approach will ensure I’m respecting everyone’s preferences while still gathering the data I need.
Emotional Wellbeing and Sensitive Topics
Given that career anxiety can be a sensitive topic, I’m mindful of how these discussions could affect participants’ emotional wellbeing. I’ve decided to take Karen’s advice and make sure that everyone I speak to knows about UAL’s wellbeing services, just in case any conversations bring up uncomfortable feelings. It’s all about making sure that, while I’m gathering important data, I’m also supporting the people I’m learning from.
Reflecting on Feedback and Next Steps
Karen’s feedback has helped shape the way I’m approaching the start of my action research. She pointed out that transparency and communication are crucial at every step of the process. This means not only explaining the purpose of my research but also being clear about my long-term goals—such as pitching the Career Day programme to C&E management to secure funding for next year. With this in mind, I’m planning to be completely open with participants about the fact that their feedback will directly influence the proposal I hope to present.
Right now, I’m at the start of this journey. I haven’t yet conducted any interviews or sent out surveys, but I feel more confident knowing that I have a solid ethical framework in place. My next step will be reaching out to the pre-degree staff and Foundation tutors to start setting up those initial one-to-one meetings and drafting the survey for careers advisors. I’ll make sure to keep Karen’s advice in mind as I do this, especially around keeping the process as clear and open as possible for everyone involved.