Artefact 2 - Sampling Bias

Respondents and controls

So, as I said during tutor I’m gonna carry out this activity with my Mother and Brother – this should conquer a lot of ethical quandaries, but does have the potential to skew my results and bias my research if not conducted properly.

After reading the ethical toolkit and checklist, which mentions the need for a CRB check when working with a vulnerable group, such as children, I was unsure how I was going to proceed with my project and testing with the demographic for my project within the time constraints until I spoke to you and Jools about the possibility of exploring ideas with the help of my younger brother.

There’s already a bombproof relationship of full trust in place, however, I don’t plan on carrying out any activities or research without parental attendance and full consent for each individual activity. I will prepare and supply paperwork including a questions answered hand sheet, introduction to the activity sheet, a release form for all images and consent form. I’m going to be attaining consent from my younger brother, who although is only 4 years old, does have a brain of his own. Growing Up With technology, a book I read, also values this, stating the two types of consent they sought : verbal and behavioral. Isaac will be in the know – he’ll be told to have a crack at the jigsaw, and then asked if he’d be up for me filming it, more of an agreement, if he goes on to do it, consent will be assumed, and the behavioral aspect will come from his willingness to participate. If he doesn’t want to, he sure as hell doesn’t have to. My Mother will be present throughout any interaction related to my project to supervise any ongoings and will be able to withdraw from the study at any point, so although technically classed as a vulnerable group, I am hoping the above precautions and chosen sample will enable me to gain approval from you, in writing, so I may include it in my sketchbook and sign the statement of ethical research for this artefact.

Never that simple thought is it. Ghard.

I’ve researched fully the implications and influences that a study conducted with my family could have on my results and data collected. So although I’ll hopefully be okay to work with them ethically, there’s a plethora of control measures that need to be implemented and factors that need to be acknowledged before I’d be able to begin conducting the activity and attain credible data. I’m gonna explain how what I’ve looked at and how I plan to go forward so you can see I’ve not chosen the easy way out so much as the most efficient option given the time constraints of the project. Gathering data that is not biased is something I’m taking very seriously. And so begins my argument and justification of proposed practice to level the playing field.