Conducting research safely
Plan research with people in vulnerable situations, manage distress and follow safeguarding procedures for disclosures of abuse, harm or neglect.
For some projects, you’ll need to research sensitive topics or work with people in vulnerable situations. This research can cause distress if you do not plan carefully. You must know how to protect both participants and researchers.
Consider your approach to:
- participant circumstances, such as experiencing homelessness, claiming benefits or experiencing abuse
- participant characteristics, such as age, health condition or disability
- community context, such as religious practices, cultural sensitivities or language needs
Anyone taking part in research sessions needs safeguarding training. Ask your safeguarding team to arrange training for anyone who needs it.
Look for existing research and personal accounts from the people or communities you’re designing for. Make every effort to use these sources before asking participants to take part.
Getting expert input
Involve a topic expert or someone from the community in your project. Ask for their input when creating your research plan and questions.
They can help you:
- use appropriate language
- find the right participants
- understand how you may be seen as a researcher
Identify any risks or harm your research could cause to participants, such as:
- emotional or psychological harm
- physical harm
- financial loss
- environmental or social impact
Creating a safeguarding protocol
You must create a protocol that sets out what to do if a participant discloses abuse, harm or neglect.
Get in touch with your safeguarding team and ask them to review your protocol.
If you cannot protect your participants, find a better method for your research.
For advice on keeping participants safe, read:
You must complete an ethics assessment showing your research is justified and your plan has clear objectives.
Your research may need formal ethical approval, for example, if there is a high risk of harm. If you think you might need approval, get advice before starting.
Managing data
Your research may involve collecting personal information about participants. Ask your organisation’s Data Protection Officer how to store and anonymise research data safely.
You should complete a data protection impact assessment and, if needed, a data sharing agreement.
For help preparing these documents, read:
- Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidance on data protection impact assessments
- ICO guidance on data sharing agreements
You must be extra careful if your research includes sensitive information, such as health data or sexual orientation. This is called ‘special category data’.
Make sure recruitment documents describe:
- your research objectives
- what will happen in the session
- how you’ll use the participants’ information
Tell participants which sensitive topics you want to discuss. Let them know they do not need to answer every question.
Give participants a choice on how to take part, so they feel safe. Let them choose how, where and when the research happens.
Consider whether recording the session is appropriate for the topic. Always allow participants to opt out of being recorded.
Asking for consent
Your consent form must explain when you’ll need to share the participant’s information with others, including disclosures of:
- unreported abuse
- neglect
- criminal activity
- harm to themselves or others
If a participant is under 16 years old, you must get parental consent.
Read Department for Education guidance on how to gather and store informed consent.
Consider arranging a call with participants before their session to:
- introduce yourself
- go over the consent form
- explain your objectives with the research
- discuss any support needs
The more you know about each participant, the more you can adjust the session to meet their needs.
To avoid delays in the session you could also check all technical equipment and software works.
Arranging support for participants
Encourage participants to bring someone to the session to support them. This person will also need to sign a consent form – read about asking for consent.
Participants could also give you the name of someone they can call during the session and immediately after.
Prepare a list of contact details for relevant support organisations, charities or services that you can share with participants at the end of the session.
During a session
Always run research sessions in pairs when working with people in vulnerable situations. The observer should remain quiet and take notes. Their involvement protects the participant and ensures you have support.
You should:
- use the language the participant uses to describe themselves or their situation
- ask the participant to clarify if you do not understand something they say
- acknowledge and validate the participant’s experiences
- avoid offering advice
Let the participant:
- tell their story in their own way
- decide how much to share
- skip questions they do not want to answer
If a participant becomes emotional:
- ask if they would like to continue the session
- remind them they can stop at any time
- reassure them they’ll receive any incentives you’ve offered, even if they stop early
Safeguarding if a participant tells you about abuse, harm or neglect
Tell the participant you must share information about abuse, harm or neglect. Report the disclosure to your safeguarding team as soon as possible.
Record your questions and the participant’s answers as accurately as possible. Do not paraphrase or make assumptions. Write down the time and date of the disclosure. If you decide not to escalate, write down the reason for your decision.
Keep the note private and stored securely.
Ending a session
Share information about relevant support services with the participant. Acknowledge that talking about physical or mental health can be difficult.
Explain that you do this with all participants, in case they find it helpful.
After a session
You could send participants:
- session notes, so they can remove anything they do not want included in the research
- a summary of findings and next steps, to give a supportive end to their involvement
Run a debrief with the team after the session. Use this time to discuss anything difficult or to ask for more support.
Create a wellbeing and support plan with your research team ahead of the sessions. Following a plan helps make sure you and your team are prepared for challenging topics.
Limit the number of sessions you schedule in a day. Taking regular breaks gives you time to:
- recover between sessions
- focus on each participant
- stay alert to safeguarding concerns
You can also read the Justice Digital blog post on how to keep colleagues safe in research.