Research Ethics in Sign Language Communities

• Published in: Sign language studies Vol. 9; no. 2; pp. 104 - 131
• Main Authors: Harris, Raychelle, Holmes, Heidi M., Mertens, Donna M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington Gallaudet University Press 01.01.2009
• Subjects: American sign language; Association (Psychology); Beliefs; Civil Rights; COMMENTARY; Communities; Community; Community Relations; Cooperation; Cultural Factors; Cultural studies; Deafness; Educational Change; Educational Legislation; Educational research; Emotional Problems; Epistemology; Ethical epistemology; Ethics; Evaluation; Exceptional children; Feminism; Guidelines; Indigenous peoples; Indigenous Populations; Justice; Language acquisition; Language Usage; Linguistics; Professional Associations; Psychology; Research Design; Research ethics; Research methods; Research Subjects; Researchers; Resistance (Psychology); Salience; Sensory Experience; Sign Language; Sign languages; Social Change; Social Justice; Social Science Research; Sociocultural Patterns; Student Rights; Terminology; United States > US; San Francisco California
• ISSN: 0302-1475; 1533-6263; 1533-6263
• DOI: 10.1353/sls.0.0011

Codes of ethics exist for most professional associations whose members do research on, for, or with sign language communities. However, these ethical codes are silent regarding the need to frame research ethics from a cultural standpoint, an issue of particular salience for sign language communities. Scholars who write from the perspective of feminists, indigenous peoples, and human rights advocates have commonly expressed dissatisfaction with their lack of representation in conversations about research ethics. Members of sign language communities and their advocates can learn from others who share in this struggle and contribute much to this topic. We propose the development of sign language communities’ terms of reference (SLCTR) as a means to research by, for, and with sign language communities.