Researching the sacred: reflections on the challenges and ethics of data collection.

Pirani, Farida and Papadopoulos, Irena ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6291-4332 (2007) Researching the sacred: reflections on the challenges and ethics of data collection. Journal of Health, Social and Environmental Issues, 8 (1) . pp. 19-26. ISSN 1478-5692 [Article]

Abstract

The paper describes the process of data collection and the challenges encountered during a study carried out at a religiously sacred site, that is, a Muslim shrine in Pakistan. Conducting research in a Pakistani cultural setting, using a research process and ethical framework derived from a Western world perspective presented a series of challenges. These included issues arising from working in an environment closely related to a particular religious value and belief system and a lack of basic infrastructure and privacy when conversing with people who were vulnerable and unacquainted with the concept of this type of research. Cultural awareness, empathy, a non judgemental approach, and reflective research can assist in maintaining ethical practice among researchers.

Actions (login required)

View Item

Statistics

DownloadsShow export options

Export as CSVXMLJSON

Activity Overview

6 month trend

0Downloads

6 month trend

474Hits

Additional statistics are available via IRStats2.