Research with groups at risk of vulnerability and sensitive topics
Special consideration must be given to protecting the welfare of potentially vulnerable research participants. Participants who are at risk of vulnerability are not always vulnerable - their vulnerability may change with their situation and environment, and this should be considered in our research to manage the balance between protection and risk. Research policy within College gives special consideration to protecting the wellbeing of individuals at risk of vulnerability such as the following (this is not an exclusive list):
- Children, prisoners, asylum seekers, persons who may require support to give consent, e.g. adults with mental health problems, learning disability, literacy difficulties, cognitive impairment, communication disability or who are terminally ill. Please note that not all the people in these groups may require support to provide consent;
- Participants who have an unequal power relationship with the researcher, i.e. student/ lecturer, employee/ manager;
- Additional social factors, such as poverty and lack of access to health care, can also make individuals vulnerable to coercion, exploitation or other risks and need to be considered in reviewing applications.
Conducting research with groups of people at risk of vulnerability is the exception rather than the norm. Research that is ethical should not deliberately exclude groups of the population who are at risk of vulnerability unless this exclusion is consistent with the research question and aims of the study. Existing guidance on conducting ethical research with people at risk of vulnerability is available from the National Disability Authority (i.e., people with disabilities) and from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (i.e., children). Local College policies offer further specific guidelines in this regard . See the section on research with participants at risk of vulnerability in the TCD Good Research Practice Guide.
While extra supports may be needed and different processes may be used with populations at risk of vulnerability, research with a vulnerable group is important when it is responsive to the needs or priorities of these populations. Considerations related to the wellbeing of the participant always take precedence over the interests of science and society. While respect for basic pillars such as autonomy and confidentiality are implicit in all research involving human subjects, they are especially pertinent in situations where the people concerned are at risk of vulnerability or already marginalised or stigmatized. In the latter situations there can be danger of exacerbating or further entrenching negative social stereotypes, thereby further marginalizing the individual or group and further contributing to inequity.
Sensitive topics include those which might be considered personally intrusive. This includes such topics as illegal activities, sexual behaviours or experiences of abuse.
Much serious and important social research will be concerned with populations at risk of vulnerability and / or sensitive topics and the Research Ethics Committee is deeply committed to the value and integrity of such research.
Applicants must demonstrate that the potential and actual benefits of conducting their study outweigh the possible harm to participants. Demonstrating the benefit of the research will involve showing how the research will make an original, genuine and valuable contribution to knowledge. The applicant will also need to outline fully how the value of the research will be realised through dissemination to academic, policy-making and other relevant audiences (note that academic submissions such as dissertations are not regarded as relevant dissemination).
Once the possible benefits of the research have been established the applicant will need to ensure that the design of their proposed research meets the highest methodological and ethical standards. Core ethical principles such as informed consent, confidentiality and anonymity, data protection and limitation of risk are here doubly relevant. Studies with populations at risk of vulnerability and / or sensitive topics can present unique challenges in terms of the application of these principles and the researcher will need to critically engage with how they apply these principles in the circumstances with which they are faced. It is recommended that researchers review previous studies similar to their proposed study, consult with key stakeholders /experts and familiarise themselves with the literature on the ethics of social research. The following texts are recommended as a useful starting point:
- Aldrige, J. (2015). Participatory research. Working with vulnerable groups in research and practice. Bristol: Policy Press.
- Dickson-Swift, V., James, E.L., Liamputtong, P. (2010) Undertaking Sensitive Research in the Health and Social Sciences: Managing Boundaries, Emotions and Risks. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge.
- Farrimond H. (2013) Doing Ethical Research. Sage, London.
- Iphofen, R. (2011) Ethical decision making in social research: a practical guide. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.
- Love, K (ed) (2012) Ethics in Social Research. Bingley: Emerald.
- Ransome P (2013) Ethics and Values in Social Research. Palgrave Macmillan, Basingstoke.