ETHICS IN AUDIENCE RESEARCH: By the book or on the hop?

Abstract

The use and misuse of research by political parties and corporations represent a challenge to democracy and social cohesion around the world today. Governments and research institutions are increasingly regulating the methods for collecting, analysing and using personal data. Ethics for audience research raises questions not only about methods of data collection but about how research is designed and approached, and how and by whom research findings are used once they are published. This chapter begins by examining the key challenges for audience researchers in identifying and maintaining research integrity. It draws on the experiences of researchers across disciplines ranging from psychology and sociology to cultural studies. It examines the ethical implications of established and emerging qualitative and quantitative data collection methods, and of findings produced for scholarly purposes and/or commissioned by arts companies and funding agencies. The chapter argues that many of the major ethical issues experienced by audience researchers are not reflected in the regulatory framework in which such research often takes place.