Writing Assignment 3

Adrianna Rodriguez

Jennifer Jones

English 1302

6 March 2015

Conducting Research on the Gamma Phi Beta Sorority

            For my research project this semester, I have decided to do it on my sorority Gamma Phi Beta. In order for me to do my project ethically, there are multiple things to take into account. First, there are a lot of ritual like things in our sorority that we cannot share to anyone except to other initiated members of the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. I would have to make sure that I’m not putting any of this information in my project so that we can keep that information within our sorority. Second, I would also have to make sure that I don’t discuss any personal issues that are going on within our sorority. I know that whatever personal issues that are going on between me and/or any of my sisters needs to stay between us and not be brought to the public. And third, I just have to make sure not to discuss of anything that makes anyone uncomfortable. The only kind of information I feel I need to have for my project should be related to my sorority and nothing else, no kind of drama or anything.

            I decided to do my research on my sorority because it is one of the biggest things in my life right now. I love being a member of Gamma Phi Beta and I want to show people with my project how amazing my sorority is and why everyone else should love it. Right now I am involved in other organizations at my school but out of all of them my sorority does take up more of my time out of everything else. I joined Gamma Phi Beta because I wanted to be a part of something that is bigger than myself. During my research I will be doing a lot of my research just by observing my sisters and when it comes to the events we do. I will have my professor assisting me throughout the process whenever I need help with anything. I do plan to do this project to the best of my ability.

Since I live at the sorority house and am practically around my site and living in it 24/7 I can practically do my research anytime I want. I plan on doing observational research just by talking and interacting with sisters and going to all of our mandatory events. I have no issue as to gaining entry to my research site since I live in it. I know all of my sisters will be ok with me doing this project as long as I don’t reveal any secret ritual information to any outside parties of our sorority. I plan on researching this site for the rest of the year until I no longer have any need to do research on my sorority.

When presenting my information ethically, I plan on keeping all people I interview anonymous. I know that there is some information my sisters may have that they want to keep private and may not want certain people to know what they have said about something. I wouldn’t want my research project to cause any sort of drama within my sorority. When presenting your research ethically you want to present what is true while keeping your participant’s best interest in mind. Any sort of potential risks I could see coming up is if someone shares information that should be kept between the participant and the interviewer. That’s where keeping people anonymous is considered important. Other than that I really see no other issues coming up and I can’t see the issue that I just mentioned actually happening while conducting my research. I mainly plan to keep my research about my sorority, and not so much all the people involved within it. I do think that the people involved is a key component to my research, but not the most important one and since it is not the most important one, I am going to try my best to not make it so prominent in my research, so I can avoid any issues. When giving interviews and stating any situations in my research paper, I can use fake names to protect the people I am interviewing if they want to remain anonymous. I also don’t actually plan on doing very many interviews. Most of my research will be me being observational, like a sociologist studying people’s behavior. I can describe things that go on and be vague but still give enough information to where people will understand what it is I am talking about. I of course wouldn’t want my research project to cause any issues for me in my sorority, but since this is a research project I plan on giving any information I think is necessary to make my research project the best it can possibly be.

When it comes to using a code of ethics for my ethnography project, I plan to use the MLA Statement of Professional Ethics. I plan on using this code of ethics because it gives the best rules and regulations when it comes to understanding everything necessary for things to be fair with your projects with the student, teacher, and the participants. The MLA Statement of Professional Ethics understands that the student should have the right to ask certain things, but that the participant is not obligated to answer all said questions. It is also understood that the teacher does have a right to regulate the project with the student that they see fit. With a certain amount of understanding from all people involved in the project, it can most definitely be one of the best research projects ever.