Reflections on the Conduct of Research with Human Subjects Across Two Cultures

Student's Name

Kimberly Maas, Minnesota State University, MankatoFollow

1st Student's Major

Sociology and Corrections

1st Student's College

Social and Behavioral Sciences

Students' Professional Biography

Kimberly Maas is an Intern in the Department of Educational Studies: Elementary and Early Childhood Education, and a senior in the Department of Sociology and Corrections at Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota. She has conducted one other study concerning Russian culture entitled “Narratives from the Former Soviet Union to the United States.” She plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Rural Sociology with an emphasis in International Development in Russia.

Mentor's Name

Elizabeth Sandell

Mentor's Email Address

elizabeth.sandell@mnsu.edu

Mentor's Department

Elementary and Early Childhood Education

Mentor's College

Education

Abstract

This study examined the potential benefits, challenges, and barriers faced by university students and research colleagues who were involved in international partnerships for cross-cultural research projects between the USA and Russia. In scholarly investigations in the USA, research subjects must be informed of the precautions that will be taken to protect their safety and their privacy (Amdur & Bankfert, 2002). Particularly in Russia, there are no corresponding policies for working with human subjects that compare to the procedures followed by American university Institutional Review Boards. Furthermore, international partnerships have faced new challenges as a result of the restructuring of American security since the events of September 11, 2001. This study focused on trust in international partnerships, challenges of funding and institutional support, reliability of data, and the affects of outside influences on research processes. Researchers used grounded theory and auto ethnography to code and inductively analyze data from semi-structured interviews and personal experiences in the field.

Recommended Citation

Maas, Kimberly (2009) "Reflections on the Conduct of Research with Human Subjects Across Two Cultures," Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato: Vol. 9, Article 11.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.56816/2378-6949.1064
Available at: https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/jur/vol9/iss1/11

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