Ethics Versus the Law: The Case of the Belfast Project

Abstract

This chapter offers a case study of the Belfast Project archive, set up by Boston College in the US to hold accounts of the conflict in Northern Ireland known as ‘the Troubles’. People who provided information were given written guarantees that their own accounts, and indeed the Project itself, would be kept secret until after their deaths. However, the existence of the Project was made public by its own director while some participants were still alive. The chapter begins with a brief background to the Troubles and an explanation of the importance of archives. Then the history of the archive is outlined and analysed, and the lessons learned from the case are discussed. One key lesson is that unless or until there is legal recognition of researcher-participant privilege, it will not always be possible for research data to be kept secure both ethically and legally. In conclusion, we outline the potential role for archival evidence in policymaking, and provide evidence for the importance of trust in social co-operation. We point to ways in which policy can help to build and maintain this trust and so help to forestall and manage conflict.