Ethical Principles in Practice Evidence from participatory action research

KAIRARANGA – VOLUME 9, SPECIAL EDITION: 2008 ABSTRACT A significant challenge for all participants in the autism spectrum disorder participatory action research (ASD PAR) project, including the Ministry of Education, the local project teams (LPT) and mentors, was the lack of availability of a single ethics approval process for the project in its entirety and, in particular, one that could accommodate the iterative, dynamic and participant-led action research process. To address this gap, participants in the ASD PAR project adopted both individual and shared responsibility for ethical reasoning. As with ethics in general, there was no one right answer that could be routinely applied to ethical dilemmas. A guiding framework of ethical principles proved useful for participants. Central to the success of the ASD PAR project was participants’ ability to self-reflect, question and share resolutions. In essence, reflections on ethical dilemmas as they arose were an interwoven strand through the life cycles of the ASD PAR project.