Helen Kara | September 29th, 2022
In qualitative research building a rapport and friendships with participants is often presented as a means to gain access and data from research participants. However, as Helen Kara discusses, using friendship in an instrumental way presents serious ethical issues for researchers.
we know that people generally agree to participate in research for their
own reasons rather than ours. And, where that reason is to get a little
human company and kindness, which is lacking from their own lives, the
practice of building rapport begins to appear even more suspect.
