Table 2 Distinctive ethical considerations for research in disasters identified by REC members
Distinctive issues for disaster research | Considerations for REC review | Examples discussed by interviewees |
|---|---|---|
1. Justification | - Evaluating the social value of disaster research - Considering whether the study must be done in a disaster or if it could be delayed - Analyzing risk/benefit considerations | - Potential to impede disaster response efforts - ‘disaster tourism’ (research which will not generate relevant knowledge or benefit local community) |
2. Vulnerability | - Attending to intersecting sources of vulnerability - Avoiding re-traumatization of participants - Assessing expertise of the team - Tailoring consent processes - Responding to changing levels of risk | - Recruiting unaccompanied children, displaced and/or indigent populations |
3. Safety, confidentiality and data security | - Promoting participant and researcher safety - Maintaining participant confidentiality - Ensuring data security | - Making contingency plans for evacuation - Using white noise machines - Using mobile technologies to collect and upload anonymized data |
4. Community engagement | - Engaging with community before research is developed and throughout its implementation - Identifying additional approaches to seek local input | - Limited time to implement research following sudden onset disaster - Disrupted social systems - Diverse voices and potentially competing interests within communities |