CHAPTER 3. METHODOLOGY
3.14 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
According to Grove et al (Grove et al., 2013:61), ethical consideration are a system of moral values that are concerned with the degree to which research procedures adhere to the professional, legal and social obligation of the study participants/respondents. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee and permission granted by the Discipline of Nursing to conduct the research before commencing data collection (See Annexure 14).
Permission was also obtained from the Registrar of the University of KwaZulu-Natal to use the clinical skills laboratory, and to have access to the nursing student who attended it for clinical demonstration and practice (See Annexure 10).
3.14.1 Informed Consent
Written informed consent was obtained from the participants/respondents. According to Brink et al (Brink et al., 2012:38), informed consent is described as the measure whereby the researcher obtains participants/respondents permission for voluntary participation in the study. Consent is the prospective subject’s agreement to participate in a study as a participant, which he/she reaches after assimilating essential information (Grove et al., 2013:201). Before the researcher collected data from the respondents/participants, he provided them with an information sheet with information on purpose, duration and ethical principles of the study.
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3.14.2 Right to Self-Determination
Right to self-determination is based on the ethical principle of respect for a person, which holds that a human is capable of self-determination, or controlling their destiny, and should be treated as an autonomous agent who has the freedom to conduct their lives as they choose without external control (Grove et al., 2013:189). Before data collection, the respondents/participants were informed about the study and allowed to voluntarily choose to participate or not. They were also informed that they have right to withdraw from the study at any stage of the process without consequences.
3.14.3 Right to Autonomy and Confidentiality
Autonomy means participant’s/respondent’s identity cannot be linked with his or her responses (Grove et al., 2013:196). Confidentiality is the management of the private data in research so that their identities are not linked with their response (Grove et al., 2013:196). Each participant/respondent was given a code number for identification instead of their name, student number, identity number or date of birth to ensure anonymity. During the data collection, the researcher developed a master list of their names and assigned codes. When entering, data collected in the computer, the researcher used the code numbers for identification. The consent forms were stored in a locked cupboard with the master list of their names and code numbers away from the questionnaires and the interview data. This list was destroyed after the study was completed. The signed consent forms are not stapled to the questionnaire to make it difficult to link them to the response. The questionnaires and informed consent are stored in an area with limited access, except to the research team, which consists of the researcher, supervisor, and statistician. The research team signed the confidentiality pledge to ensure that no confidential information obtains during data collection/gathering is disclosed. No confidential information was shared with a person who is not officially and directly involved with the research.
3.14.4 Right to Fair Treatment
Right to fair treatment is based on the ethical principles of justice, which holds that each person should be treated fairly and should receive what she or he is due or owed (Grove et al., 2013:198). During data collection, random systematic sampling techniques were
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employed to eliminate some of the research bias that might have influenced the selection of the respondents.
3.14.5 Right to Protection from Discomfort and Harm
Right to protection from discomfort and harm is based on the ethical principles of beneficence, which holds that one should do good, and above all, do no harm (Grove et al., 2013:198). During data collection, the participants/respondents were not harmed. No physical or psychological discomfort was experienced as a result of their participation in the study. Data was collected at their leisure time in other to reduce any discomfort that might arise.
3.14.6 Benefits and Risk from the Study
During data collection, the participants/respondents had the potential to increase their understanding of the research process and learn about self-directed clinical skills laboratory. The study had no financial benefits to the students, and thanked by the researcher. The researcher collected the data by himself. The process of data collection was done over a period of five weeks, which start from 26th September 2016 to 29th October 2016.
3.14.7 Scientific Validity and Scientific Honesty
The investigator maintained scientific validity and honesty, as recommended by Brink et al (Brink et al., 2012:43). For scientific honesty, the investigator adhered to the principle by acknowledging all the literature and academic writing that was used in this research.
In addition, to be scientifically honest, the investigator presented a true picture of the study barren of distortion, fabrication or falsification. The investigator avoided plagiarism and subjected the text to TURNITIN to affirm the scientific honesty. To respect the principle of scientific validity, the investigator has enhanced his knowledge and completed the Online course (TRREE) on research and has been awarded certificates.
3.14.8 Data Storage and Management Plan
To maintain the integrity of stored data from the research, the thesis data are protected from physical damage as well as from tampering, loss, or theft, this being done by limiting
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access to the data. After analyses, the questionnaires and the interview notes were kept together in a safe, a locked file cabinet, a secure location from public access with the help of and in the office of the thesis supervisor for a minimum of five (5) years or as per the University of KwaZulu-Natal policies regarding research data storage. Privacy and anonymity were increased by replacing names and other information with encoded identifiers, with the encoding key kept in a different secure location. The electronic data is stored in its various formats on a computer with an encrypted password to prevent unauthorised access to the data. This is backed up in an external hard drive and a DVD, and is kept in a secure and safe area with a lock. Antiviruses on the computer will be updated frequently to prevent damage to the data. This will be kept for five years or per the university policies when the electronic data will be deleted and the hard copies shredded and buried to decompose.
3.14.9 Data Dissemination
The final results were communicated through the supervisor to Head of School at the end of the study. A copy of the report of the findings was submitted to the College of Health sciences at UKZN, besides, the researcher intends to publish the results which will make it possible for the participants and the respondents to get access to the results.