Qualitative health research and procedural ethics: An interview study to investigate researchers’ ways of navigating the demands of medical research ethics committees in Germany

Abstract

This study explores how qualitative health researchers navigate the demands of medical research ethics committees in Germany where qualitative research is subject to approval only when it is conducted in medical contexts. We present the results of a grounded theory study to investigate qualitative health researchers’ experiences with procedural ethics and the strategies they adopt to navigate its demands. Our analysis revealed six dimensions of experience and three strategies adopted by researchers to navigate the demands of medical research ethics committees. All participants agreed that research ethics is of high importance in qualitative health research, but strategies to navigate the demands of medical research ethics committees ranged from avoiding, and adapting, to transforming the procedures of ethics review. Based on our findings, we provide recommendations for improving the ethics review of qualitative health research.