Ethics in research is the use of standards in research that is a guide between acceptable and unacceptable behaviors and encompasses proper techniques to avoid fabrication of data and ensure that the researcher will be honest and objective. Being objective helps create an warm and welcoming environment and helps make the participant feel at ease and not as if he/she is being judged by their responses. Furthermore a trusting environment, helps create the atmosphere needed to work collaboratively such as in a professional learning community, PLC. In a PLC environment, there is the need for fairness, mutual respect, accountability, trust, and sharing of ideas, all of which are reasons why ethics in research is important. Being objective in the gathering of data is also critical because it encourages the participant to be honest and not feel that they need to seek the approval of the research, which could skew the responses providing an inaccurate result. It is also the researchers job to ensure the participants involved that the researcher is trustworthy, will keep the integrity of the research creditable, and will conceal the identity of the participants to keep their privacy. The participants also need to know that their time is valued and research is appreciative that they participated. Through being appreciated the participants will also know that their interview responses will remain anonymous and no identifying information will be used during …show more content…
Strauss and Corbin (1990) define grounded theory as follows: Grounded theory is one that is inductively derived from the study of the phenomenon it represents. This is, it is discovered, developed, and provisionally verified through systematic data collection and analysis of data pertaining to that phenomenon. Therefore, data collection, analysis and theory stand in reciprocal relationship with each other. One does not begin with a theory, they prove it. Rather, one begins with an area of study and what is relevant to that area is allowed to emerge. (p. 23)
According to Creswell (2009), a theory explains how things are connected through a research study and this helps to explain or predict a phenomenon. He suggests that the researcher collects information, examines the data and form themes or patterns, researcher examines the data in order to form themes (codes), and provides generalizations or theories incorporated from other experiences and