Abstract
David Calvey provides a long overdue exposition of covert research, a topic that has until now received only marginal status in the social sciences. Covert research is a type of data collection whereby the research subjects are not made aware they are being studied, it is deceptive but not necessarily unethical. Calvey’s coverage of the topic in Covert Research is exhaustive, providing readers with a wealth of examples from classic exemplars of the technique alongside many relatively unknown cases. The chapters set out by defining covert research, outlining its roots, discussing debates around its usage before going on to provide examples of its application in different fields. The book can be read by a wide audience, requiring no previous knowledge of social scientific research and thus making it an excellent primer to ethnographic research in general. The methods employed are not always ethnographic, although, the book is more orientated to this line of enquiry. Interestingly, it has been written in a textbook format and is, therefore, geared towards an undergraduate or postgraduate readership. Each chapter ends with a learning exercise that encourages the reader to think through the topics presented in the chapter and to develop their own position on the material at hand. Established academics should not be put off by this format. The choice of the audience may reflect Calvey’s wish to enlighten a broader academic populous on the benefits of covert research, thereby establishing it as a potential research method in the academic toolkit.
Overall, Calvey presents covert research as a viable methodological tool that can accomplish research that is both ethically sound and, in some instances, superior to alternatives. He does not take this prescription lightly and instead argues for a sensible consideration of its usage in particular cases. It is his argument that covert research should remain a niche method but should not be discounted. We live, as he writes, in an era of ‘ethical hypochondria’ (p. 30), whereby institutional review boards enforce strict ethical codes of conduct that suffocates and nullifies research that is deemed risky or breaches specific rules around consent. Yet, covert research can uncover hidden injustices and give voice to marginalised or vulnerable groups, which is precisely its ethical strength. As a practitioner of covert research myself (see Berry, 2018), I can confirm that it is in some cases the only way to gather data on hard to reach groups, whilst also mitigating the ‘Hawthorne effect’ where participants alter their behaviour in response to being observed. As a vanguard for this method, Calvey seeks to decouple the stigma and present covert research in a more objective and positive light that it rightly deserves. Nonetheless, Calvey does not shy away from presenting terrible cases of abuse that have given covert research its bad name but demonstrates that these are far and few between as they are in other forms of research more generally. In fact, many social scientific studies have elements of covert practices, although, these are seldom made explicit by the author. Calvey does an excellent job of pulling out these components from a range of studies each of which sitting someway along what he describes as a ‘covert continuum’ between covert and overt.
Indeed, Calvey attempts to normalise covert research by demonstrating that some level of deception exists in most forms of research, which are not necessarily in high risk or ethically challenging settings. The fact remains, however, that the majority of ‘pure’ covert research has been conducted on sensational topics in risky areas, even if many others are mundane. By focusing on these areas covert research has contributed to the manner in which it is perceived. In Calvey’s own experience of covert research of bouncers, he states truthfully that the job is mostly mundane with relatively rare outbreaks of violence (something I can confirm as a bouncer myself). Yet, significant wordage is dedicated to these events rather than the mundane aspects of the job which leaves a lasting impression on the reader. He also admits to breaching the law, although, contends the research was done in an ethical manner. Sadly, we ethnographers operate in an ethical culture of fear and have to sanitise our accounts or risk career suicide. Whilst brave and honest, it is questionable as to whether Calvey’s revelation would relax ethics committees, which is something he desires. Ultimately, Calvey argues that many ethical dilemmas are situated in the field and cannot be anticipated in advance or rectified by following some prescribed formula set out by ethics committees. As such, he argues for a sensible management of ethics in situ. This does not directly answer the question, however, of how to ‘judge what is justifiable’ or who should be allowed to make this choice (Taylor and Smith 2014, p. 547). A perennial problem in the social sciences and one that may never be universally agreed upon.
The book finishes by presenting what Calvey describes confidently as a revival in covert research. He presents many contemporary cases from autoethnography, social network analysis, cyberethnography, to the more longstanding investigative journalism. The book is, therefore, highly relevant for researchers across a range of methodological positions and fields of enquiry. As a first of its kind and comprehensive in its scope, Covert Research has the potential to be a classic and deserves a place on many shelves or digital libraries.