PhD course on research ethics in small communities and rural contexts

On the 16-17th of April 2026 the University of the Faroe Islands will host an exciting PhD course on research ethics in small communities and rural contexts. The course comprises 2 ECTS credits.

Why is it necessary to think differently about research ethics when conducting research in small communities and rural contexts?

A common understanding of what constitutes ethical research practice is it complies with overarching research ethics principles typically formalised in research ethics guidelines. These are principles that researchers are required to follow when designing their research projects and before undertaking research. However, such principles are typically developed in contexts where standard approaches to anonymisation are easy to follow, and where interpersonal relationships overlap to a much lesser extent than in small communities and rural contexts such as the Faroe Islands.

Although it is essential that researchers are familiar with and comply with such research ethics guidelines, they can sometimes feel distant and difficult to apply when doing research in small communities and rural contexts. In fact, researchers undertaking research in small communities and rural contexts sometimes encounter situations where overarching principles are of little help, and where they may even contradict what is ethical in the specific context. 

What counts as an ethical research practice in a small community setting where interpersonal relationships are close may differ from that of a larger societal context. It is therefore, necessary to identify when, where and how conventional research ethical principles fall short in these cases. Research in small communities and rural contexts requires that researchers develop an awareness of ethically important situations and the skills needed to assess, discuss, reflect on and handle these. In such situations, researchers must, among other things, ensure ongoing consent from participants, take steps to ensure the confidentiality of those who participate to a greater extent than when conducting research in larger societal contexts, as well as understand and be able to navigate multiple relationships and power imbalances between people. These circumstances and other issues relating to situational ethics in small communities and rural contexts constitute the focus of this PhD course.

The course aims to support students in developing their awareness of ethically important moments and the skills needed to handle such situations. Moreover, the course aims to facilitate conversation on how to mobilise reflexivity at all stages of the research process in order to identify and prepare research ethical challenges. One way we will do this is by engaging with the research projects of course participants. We will seek to cultivate awareness about research ethical dimensions of all stages in the research process – from research design to data collection and empirical analysis as well as communication of results.  

Before the course starts, confirmed participants will be requested to submit a reflection paper (approximately 1,500 words) about their research. The deadline for the reflection paper is 1st April 2026. Course participants will receive more details on the structure of the reflection paper after 23rd February. 

This paper may be written in Faroese, Danish, or English. Participants will then present and discuss their papers in a plenary setting. The course also consists of short lectures on important concepts that will be mobilised in these discussions and that are intended as inspiration, as well as an opportunity to illuminate the issues raised.

The course constitutes 2 ECTS credits and will take place over the course of 1½ day.

The target group is PhD students and others planning to undertake PhD studies in social sciences, health sciences, or humanities.

The course is primarily relevant to those engaged in qualitative research, but others may also benefit from the course. Students must have a Master's degree to be accepted. 

Costs: 2,000 DKK 

The course is held at the University of the Faroe Islands, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands.

The course is free of charge for PhD students enrolled at the University of the Faroe Islands.
Accommodation can be provided at a reduced rate for overseas students, although there is limited availability. 

The course will be facilitated and taught by: Erika Hayfield, Anna Sofía Fjallheim and Elisabeth Skarðhamar Olsen.

The reading list will be distributed before the course starts. 

The course description can be found  here.

Deadline for applications is the 23rd of February 2026.

Interested applicants are invited to send an email to erikah@setur.fo