Journal of Philosophy of Education, EarlyView.

In the wake of the crisis of representation, the qualitative approaches have gained momentum within the social sciences. This crisis has lead to a widespread awareness about the need to incorporate the subject's understanding in the research design. Yet, the validity of qualitative accounts is still regarded as a function of its representative accuracy. This, and not its meaningfulness, remains the qualifying property to judge its value. I argue that this can only be overcome by a retreat from realist ontology. (...) The challenge that emerges is how to build an understanding of qualitative research, which is not referential but retains its ?worldly involvement?. This can be achieved by reversing the logical order: the value of the researcher's reconstruction does not reside in its representational accuracy of reality, but in the value, it has for our comprehension of reality. Thus, a place can be found for the active role of the researcher and the reader in the actualisation of meaning. (shrink)

This paper discusses some of the ethical aspects in research in Adapted Physical Activity (APA). It indicates some of the ethical challenges related to the choice of research problem to be investigated, and the treatment of participants, not least when working with people who are in some ways in a more vulnerable life situation. Drawing also on experiences as a researcher with a disability, the challenges and potential benefits of involving people with disabilities in APA research is critically discussed.