Informed Consent And The Research Process

A project funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. It is a part of the ESRC's Research Methods Programme. Follow this link to the project web site.

Abstract

Obtaining informed consent from research participants is central to ethical research practice. Three issues impact on, and problematise, the consent process in research conducted by social researchers working with vulnerable groups. These concern: the lack of professional regulation; the constraints imposed by 'gatekeepers'; and the methods of data collection used. Social researchers have developed a range of responses to managing informed consent when conducting research on vulnerable groups but these, and the impact that particular methods have on data collection and on participants' understandings of the research process, are not widely understood. This study aims to identify the factors influencing the management of informed consent in social research conducted with vulnerable groups, to bring together the responses social researchers have made, to explore the impact of different responses and to provide web-based resources for use by social researchers, research students and research supervisors in dealing with issues of informed consent. The study comprises three elements: a literature review; telephone interviews with leading researchers; and focus groups with researchers and research students working in the areas of health, childhood and youth research.

The project is scheduled to commence early in 2003. During its 18 month, Graham Crow and Sue Heath of Sociology and Social Policy will be working with Rose Wiles of the School of Health Professions. The research funding of £39,000 is part of the ESRC's Research Methods Programme. The research team are keen to involve anyone with an interest in researching vulnerable groups such as children and people with health problems.