![]() A balance should be struck between avoiding or closing down potentially distressing discussion and silencing the voices of certain participants to whom such discussion may be important or beneficial. Harm in a focus group may arise from the discussion of sensitive topics, and this may be amplified by the public nature of the discussion. If the group discussion encourages over-disclosure by some participants, this problem becomes more acute. Confidentiality and anonymity are potentially problematic because of the researcher’s limited control over what participants may subsequently communicate outside the group. Moreover, it is less straightforward for the participant to revoke consent than in one-to-one interviews. As consent can be seen in terms of creating appropriate expectations in the participant, this may therefore be hard to achieve. ![]() ![]() The principal challenge in obtaining consent lies in giving a clear account of what will take place in the group, owing to unpredictability of the discussion and interaction that will occur. This paper explores, in both conceptual and practical terms, three key issues: consent confidentiality and anonymity and risk of harm. Focus group methodology generates distinct ethical challenges that do not correspond fully to those raised by one-to-one interviews.
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