Lessons Learned: The Complexities of Ethical Collaborative Self-Study

• In Event: Processes and Impacts of Collaborative Self-Study

Abstract

This autobiographical self-study examined my experiences as a collaborative self-study group coordinator. Developed as a forum for faculty development, at the onset of the study I obtained ethics clearance of a standard research protocol that included confidentiality procedures. Over time, my incomplete understandings of ethical considerations in collaborative self-study brought forth tensions related to candidly sharing our insights through joint authorship. While an authorship agreement enabled participants to later self-identify and share authorship of an academic paper, the cost of doing so was loss of trust, that was counterproductive to the value of the group as a forum for faculty development. The lessons learned provide foresight for other collaborative self-study researchers, which may reduce their potential to encounter similar tensions.

Author

• Arlene Grierson, Nipissing University