Ethical responsibilities to narrators of interviews

It's very clear that we do have ethical responsibilities to interview narrators exist and many of the basic contours of such responsibilities are clear. Questions and internal debates arise in daily practice.

Witnessing (focus on the moment, be fully accepting of the fact that the interview may serve purely for the benefit of the narrator) versus Instrumentality (record a "great interview" and get it "out there" for many people to see, in order to serve lofty goals of social justice, understanding, empathy, compassion, respect for every person.)

This the tension that underlies every detail of our every action.

General principles

- Strive for "I-Thou" rather than "I-It" relationships. "I-Thou" relationships are ideal and impossible to achieve, but it is important to aim for this ideal.
- Process and/versus product
- Respecting the narrator's needs and/versus producing the documentation
- Our code of conduct covers the obvious, minimum requirements
- First, do no harm

Practical questions

- Identification and location of potential interview narrators; approach and communications

- Intrusiveness? Invasion of privacy?

- Encouragement/pressure to grant interview, decide, donate, consent to web publication?

- Control circumstances of interview; control within the interview

- Can a narrator change her mind after donation or consent to web publication?

Do we have competing responsibilities towards narrators?

- Advocacy versus the Prime Directive?

We strive for the latter, in a specific sense, although in larger terms we do work for change. But is that the correct ethical choice? The Prime Directive is a corrective to our hubris. But is it also a rationalization for laziness, willful paralysis?

What is the nature of the relationship between interviewer and narrator?

* Not therapist- patient
* Not lawyer or advocate-client
* Not friend
* Not permanent, but negotiation over a period of time that begins with the first interactions and continues through donation (if any) and question of consent for web publication (Will donation be the end? Later negotiations? We don't have the experience to know)

When we are only going to share part of an interview to a particular group or online, what do we show?

Please see our criteria.