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Aalto Open Research training series

Spring 2026

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Qualitative research and research ethics review

Annukka Jyrämä, Anniina Harju

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Research ethics

Preventing any harm caused to the research subject, researcher or society

Guiding principles:

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  • right to self-determination
  • prevention of harm
  • privacy and personal data protection

Research ethics is different from research integrity.

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Research with human participants vs medical research

Research with human participants

  • to research on humans and human behaviour.
  • Besides humanities and social sciences, these research designs include research with human participants in the natural sciences and technology, in artistic research, and in some cases also in non-invasive health or medical research

Medical research

means research involving intervention in the integrity of a person, human embryo or human foetus for the purpose of increasing knowledge of health, the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases or the nature of diseases in general, and which is not a clinical trial as defined in the Clinical Trials Regulation’ (Medical Research Act (488/1999), Section 2(1) as amended by the Act 984/2021)

The ethical principles of research with human participants and ethical reviw in the human sciences in Finland, 2019

Different perspectives to research ethics. How to make an ethics self-assessment in research projects – Aalto support and guidelines | Aalto University

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General principles

The researcher respects the dignity and autonomy of human research participants

The researcher respects material and immaterial cultural heritage and biodiversity.

The researcher conducts their research so that the research does not cause significant risks, damage or harm to research participants, communities or other subjects of research

​The ethical principles of research with human participants and ethical reviw in the human sciences in Finland, 2019

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Ethical review

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Research based only on public information, archive data or registry and documentary data, without the data security risks associated with data that is combined from several sources – review is not needed

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Check what other research permits you may need.

Ethical review is carried out before data is collected. An ethical review statement cannot be issued afterwards.

The researcher is always responsible for the ethical and moral solutions in the research and submitting the research for ethical review never transfers this responsibility to the ethics committee.

Theses supervisors are responsible for ensuring that their supervisees are familiar with ethical principles, but the writer of the thesis is responsible for their work being ethical. If ethical review is necessary, it is recommended that the student request it jointly with their supervisor.

​The ethical principles of research with human participants and ethical review in the human sciences in Finland, 2019

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TENK guidelines*

Ethical review is mandatory when there is/are

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  • deviation from the principle of informed consent,
  • intervention in the physical integrity of research participants,
  • minors under the age of 15, without separate consent from a parent, or without possibility to prevent the child’s participation in the research,
  • exceptionally strong stimuli to participants,
  • risk of mental or social harm that exceeds the limits of normal daily life
  • a threat to the safety of participants or researchers.

*The Finnish National Guidelines in line with�the ALLEA code of conduct

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Ethical review and personal data

Collecting personal data does not require a research ethics review�– but requires compliance with GDPR regulations

For sensitive data, special category personal data, research ethics review is recommended

You may also need to prepare a data protection impact assessment (DPIA)

Publishers or funders may require research ethics documentation in all cases where human participants are involved in research

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What is personal data?

What is personal data? ​

  • Broad interpretation
  • Not just name and email
  • “Personal data” is any data about living people from which they can be identified​
  • If you collect information from or of persons, consider it as personal data​

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Anniina Harju

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Special category personal data

  • Racial or ethnic origin​
  • Political opinions​
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs;
  • Trade union membership​
  • Genetic data, biometric data (where used for identification purposes​)
  • Data concerning health​
  • Data concerning a person’s sex life and data concerning a person’s sexual orientation.

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Anniina Harju

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Focus on qualitative research

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�…we encounter in research ethics review

  • How can I ask consent?
  • What if my questions and study changes?
  • Discussing sensitive, difficult topics?
  • My participants belong to vulnerable group?

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Group discussion

  • You are divided into breakout rooms
  • Please discuss what challenges and questions you have or know of in context of qualitative research and research ethics review

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  • Make a list and then we discuss these to find solutions
  • Decide who will present your list to the whole group

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  • You have 15 minutes for the discussion and then we continue all together

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Answers

How can I ask consent?

  • Orally
  • Signed document
  • As part of other communication with participants (e.g. email)
  • Are people aware?

Deception

asking informed consent before and after (applies also to experiments online)

Unpredictability of the research – new themes and topic emerge

  • Updating research ethics statement request
  • Informed consent to participate in research can be obtained in various ways, even within the same research context.�Examples of renegotiating consent as a means to respond to the unpredictability of research (Laukkanen et al., 2021).

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Risks & participants

Topic that may cause anxiety, stress, very personal

    • Confidentiality among participants
    • Possibility to pause (in different space?)
    • Discussion help – professional present, or information where to seek help

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Possibility of physical harm – e.g. workshop includes physical activities

    • Help present, available

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Pay attention to type of data collected – identifiability, sensibility

      • can it be pseudonymised (observation notes vs photos/videos)
      • can some elements in data be changed to reduce identifiability
      • evaluate risks in case of data breach

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Vulnerable people as participants and sensitive topics �– Do no harm

  • Understanding of the specificity of the target group
    • Participants as co-researchers
    • TRUST Code
    • Ethical code of ethnography and advice from experienced researchers

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  • Provide participants advice and support in case of risks for mental health/anxiety from professionals; contact details where to get help easily available

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  • Safety of participants
  • Prepare if physical risk is likely

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Risks to researcher

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  • Targeting, unwanted media or social media attention
    • Know where to seek help
    • Communications plan, organisational support

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  • Place of interview – safe for both, participant and researcher
    • Homes of participants – need to have plan B if need comes to leave
    • Public places – think of sensitivity of the data and possibility of data breach
    • Forest, nature – have someone with first aid skills along

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Research ethics

Research Ethics and Research Integrity | Aalto University

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Research ethics review: Research Ethics Committee | Aalto University

How to make an ethics self-assessment in research projects – Aalto support and guidelines | Aalto University

How to handle personal data in research? | Aalto University

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Thank you

aalto.fi/rdm