Abstract
Social science research carries many risks. The drive to understand social behaviour necessitates investigation of both the good and bad sides of humanity along with much grey in between. As researchers, our investigations with people and practitioners focus on uncovering the unknown and bringing it to light. But what happens when research participants disclose information about practices in their organisation, community, school or elsewhere that points to unethical, immoral or illegal behaviour by others? This chapter unpacks the researcher's obligations when a participant ‘blows the whistle’ on such behaviour. Drawing from the growing research on whistleblower best practice from anti-corruption literature, the chapter will use vignettes and a hypothetical case study of ethical dilemmas to help guide researchers through the many challenges involved. While no single chapter can address all the circumstances in which a researcher becomes the ear to a whistleblower, this chapter will provide tools to analyse the situation at hand and offer some ethical and practical courses of action.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | The Routledge Handbook of Human Research Ethics and Integrity in Australia |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 401-413 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040144824 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781003319733 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2024 |