Ethical considerations in vocational and work-based research: a scoping review

Abstract

Workplace-based research (WBR) becomes a vital aspect for trainees to learn through inquiry within their professional settings. However, WBR presents unique ethical challenges due to several contextual factors. This study explores the ethical principles and dilemmas involved in WBR, focusing on informed consent, confidentiality, autonomy, and power dynamics in the workplace. Using desk-based research, the study identified conceptual background for ethical practice in WBR. It argues that ethics in WBR must go beyond standard protocols, adopting a context-sensitive approach that protects both researcher and participant welfare. While the study is theoretical in scope, it recommends an operational ethical frameworks for future empirical research in vocational and workplace-based research.