Challenges faced during a pandemic: remote ethnography and a renegotiation of ethics

Stuart Jepsen, Kirsty 2023. Challenges faced during a pandemic: remote ethnography and a renegotiation of ethics. Urbanities - Journal of Urban Ethnography 13 (1) , pp. 2-18.

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Abstract

This article addresses the ethical issues related to the necessary change in research strategy when investigating substance use services during the COVID-19 pandemic in Wales. The introduction of a lockdown following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic deferred the majority of face-to-face services, including substance use services, with some reduced to essential onsite personnel or re-located online. This created a barrier to traditional access for members of the service and challenged researchers to rethink research strategy. Substance use services began to occupy remote meeting spaces, such as Zoom, allowing the service to provide real-time support. This stimulated the development of a new research technique using remote participant observation. However, this restructuring was not a simple transition from physical place to remote space. Drawing on established digital and ‘netnography’ procedures, in this article I discuss the ethical implications of ongoing consent and visibility along with risks of inadvertent lurking. This novel provision of remote support both created barriers and provided opportunities. Remote meeting spaces require client knowledge and access to technology. This may exclude many individuals and may challenge the assumptions of a ‘safe space’. Conversely, the use of online groups enabled improved access for those living faraway, and by using a microphone and camera, allowed the potential for less stressful exposure. Finally, the ‘field’ is considered in the context of the online domain. Participants live in both online and offline spaces, with overspill or contradictions occurring in the presentation of the self. Researchers often do not draw distinctions between the two domains, yet this is an important consideration when conducting remote ethnography.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Social Sciences (Includes Criminology and Education)
Publisher:	Il Denaro Group
ISSN:	2239-5725
Related URLs:	Publisher
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	5 June 2025
Last Modified:	11 Jun 2025 16:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/177479

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