T. Edward (Ted) Hannah,
Department of Psychology
Memorial University of Newfoundland,
St. John’s, NF,
Canada

Date: 25 October 2001
Time: 11.30-12.00

The present paper addresses the unique and difficult situation a Ph.D Supervisory Committee finds itself in as a result of a student being accused of the very behaviour that is the topic of his dissertation – in this case an allegation of sexual harassment.  The paper outlines events leading up to the present situation and describes the potential conflict with regard to ethical and bias concerns as perceived by the Supervisory Committee. Chief amongst the concerns of the Committee is the issue of academic freedom. Given that no finding of guilt has ever been made – but no denial of the behaviour either - to what extent will any action taken by the committee infringe upon the student’s right to carry out his research as he sees fit, including analyses of participant observation and focus group data? In a more general sense, given the nature of qualitative research compared to more traditional quantitative research and analyses, to what extent do Supervisory Committees have a greater burden of responsibility for the objectivity and ethical quality of the student research they supervise?  Finally, should the private lives of students ever be a factor in the acceptance or rejection of supervised thesis research? It is hoped that the situation described will initiate discussion and debate amongst other researchers who may find themselves having to grapple with similar situations.