Recognizing the Role of Research Assistants in the Protection of Participants in Vulnerable Circumstances

Bibliographic Data

ID12806956
AuthorsJoanna Friedland (0000-0001-5906-5042, University of Toronto, corresponding author), Elizabeth Peters (0000-0002-8155-216X, University of Toronto)
Year2019
Volume15
Issue3
Pages143-152
Publication date2019-08-30
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Empirical Research on Human Research Ethics (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1556-2646 • E-ISSN: 1556-2654
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/1556264619872366
PMID31469349
OpenAlexW2970034591
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited22

Little is known about how research assistants (RAs) protect participants in vulnerable circumstances. Using a critical qualitative method informed by feminist ethics, we ran five focus groups with experienced RAs. We identified two themes: (a) expressing moral competencies (subthemes: recognizing power, privilege, and vulnerability; adapting processes and providing support; understanding the sources of moral competencies) and (b) negotiating and making transparent roles and responsibilities (subthemes: separating responsibilities as a clinician from those of an RA; critically reflecting on the shared responsibilities of principal investigators and RAs; and identifying the role of the Research Ethics Committee). Although RAs possess a variety of moral competencies and have an important role in protecting research participants in vulnerable circumstances, that role is largely unrecognized

Engineering ethics · Focus group · Moral imperative · Negotiation · Political science · Power (physics · Principal (computer security · Privilege (computing · Public relations · Qualitative research · Research ethics · Sociology · Variety (cybernetics · Vulnerability (computing · Ethics in Clinical Research · Ethics in medical practice · Innovations in Medical Education · Law · Psychology

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