Secrecy and Fieldwork [Paperback]

What should the researcher tell, or not tell the informant? Is fieldwork inherently an activity that requires covert behaviour by the researcher and subject alike? Are honesty and openness at odds with effectiveness in the field? In examining these questions, the author raises the ethical and practical issues of revelation and concealment in the field and attempts to arrive at a more useful set of norms for fieldwork behaviour.What should the researcher tell, or not tell the informant? Is fieldwork inherently an activity that requires covert behaviour by the researcher and subject alike? Are honesty and openness at odds with effectiveness in the field? In examining these questions, the author raises the ethical and practical issues of revelation and concealment in the field and attempts to arrive at a more useful set of norms for fieldwork behaviour.Introduction
Defining Secrecy
Secrecy and the Researcher
The Debate Over Secrecy
Secrecy, Risk, and Responsibility
The Myth of Cosmetic Identity
Conclusion