Ethical considerations in questionnaire studies:
Every country has its own regulations concerning ethical issues in
research. The researcher has to make sure that the study and the
questionnaire is in accordance with the local rules. In most countries
study protocols have to be approved by ethical committees. In questionnaire
studies, the ethical questions mostly involve the recruitment of the
sample, the content of the questionnaire and the use of the data. Power
calculations need to be performed in order to make sure that the sample
size is sufficient to draw conclusions from the study. Participation has to
be voluntary, and an informed consent is needed from the participants. In
practice, returning the questionnaire is considered consent in mail
surveys, and agreeing to be interviewed is considered consent in telephone
surveys.
Sensitive questions e.g. regarding a manager/supervisor, may cause ethical
concerns in a survey. In presenting the results, the researcher has to take
care not to identify or harm any individuals contributing the data. This
can happen if data from very small groups are presented. It is advisable
not to present data identifying occupational groups when
they have less than 20 members, for example. A survey with
sound ethics also informs its participants of the results of the study. It
has to be done in a “constructive” manner and a language well-understood by
the respondents. The reporting can be done by various means depending on
the study group, size and budget: personal letters or meetings with the
respondents, or in the media used by the respondents.
