Evaluation ethics protocol checklist

This checklist, developed by Learning for Sustainability, is designed to ensure ethical considerations are being taken into account during evaluation. With an emphasis on participatory, community-based and action research approaches the checklist can be used as a self-check by researchers, or as the basis for a peer-review of your project with one or more external evaluators. 

Excerpt

"It is advisable for evaluators to routinely check their projects to ensure they are meeting ethical requirements. Checklists both act as a memory aid to good practice, and are also a frequently required procedure from institutional clients. The following checklist and information form is intended to support ethical considerations throughout a project. Such a checklist prompts the making of clear statements of intent, mechanisms of approach and consideration of hazard arising from research and evaluation in a manner which can be understood by the public and professionals alike. While some of the items appear to be beyond the scope of ethics alone, any matter that may affect the success of programme evaluation is of indirect ethical interest if it may expose respondents, programme stakeholders or project team members to exploitation or risk.

This form has been designed as a starting guide for those working outside of a large institution and so do not have ready (and required) access to an institutional committee-based ethics process. The checklist has been designed to be relevant for a wide range of evaluation approaches. Particular attention has been paid to ensure it is useful for those undertaking participatory, community-based and/or action research approaches."

Sources

Learning for Sustainability (2013), Evaluation ethics protocol checklist . Retrieved from http://www.learningforsustainability.net/research/social_research_ethics...