Ethical Safeguards for Qualitative Research in Psychology

Abstract

Considering the ethical safeguards present in research is an imperative that represents a guarantee of quality linked to the rigor, reliability, and credibility offered to each participant and to society. Through a study with a hermeneutic design, we explored the ethical safeguards detected by ten psychologists dedicated to qualitative research. The results allow categorizing them on three stages of the research process: planning, execution, and evaluation. They also indicate the need to develop critical reflexivity that must be extended to each of these phases. It is concluded that qualitative research in psychology has a manifest social commitment that demands a debate on academic practices and that the ethical position of those who research should be committed to the scientific field as well as to the participants as a form of reciprocity for its constant improvement.