Tights Ties in Collaborative Health Research Puts Research Ethics on Trial: A Diskussion on Autonomy, Confidentiality and Integrity in Qualitative Research

Collaborative research involving different stakeholders is increasingly becoming a preferred way of doing qualitative
research to improve health care services. However, ethical research dilemmas arise when collaborative ties are tight.
Based on lessons learned from two qualitative collaborative health care research projects in two different municipalities
in Norway and Denmark, respectively, this article illuminates ethical research dilemmas around ethical principles and
guidelines of autonomy (informed consent), confidentiality (anonymity), and integrity of research. Accordingly, there is
a need to revisit and resume international ethical research guidelines formulated in the Declaration of Helsinki, when
it comes to research guidelines of informed consent, anonymity, and integrity of research. Moreover, we suggest
that collaborators contemplate and negotiate these ethical research issues to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings,
conflicts, and pressures when doing research with stakeholders when collaboration ties are tight.