Abstract

This article challenges the assumption inherent in many ethics codes that duties only arise when the project is sufficiently advanced that a formal research proposal can be put before an ethics committee for approval. Certain social science methodologies do not lend themselves to a simple demarcation between the preparation and the implementation of the research. It is therefore imperative that consideration is given to researchers' ethical duties prior to formal review. The problem of demarcation and of defining a duty are explored in the particular context of a potential research project involving research on taxi-drivers' experiences of crime and the strategies that they employ to avoid victimisation. Two key issues emerge. First, in what circumstances, if any, can information supplied during this gestation period be used as ‘research data’? Secondly, there are concerns about the researcher's identity and role at this stage. These issues, and others, need to be the subject of further consideration by the relevant bodies so that researchers receive meaningful guidance on the duty prior to ethics review.