Feminist Research Ethics

Hypothetical example 1

A group of academics approach a high school to interview female students about gender relations in their homes.

Q: What are the potential ethical issues raised in this situation?

Hypothetical example 2

A group of researchers from a university social science department and an international development organisation attempt to recruit a group of women who are informal workers engaged in waste-picking in a city neighbourhood to participate in a research project aimed at understanding the working conditions of informal workers. In the process the researchers, who include both men and women, seek the assistance of a local women’s organisation to recruit participants for their study.

Q: Which principles of feminist research ethics apply to this situation? What are the strategies that could be used to put these ethical principles into practice?

Hypothetical example 3

A group of researchers in a city which experiences significant flows of migrants conducts research with a group of refugees and asylum seekers for a period of five years. The publication of research findings from the early stages of the study are cited in legal hearings to determine the refugee status of some of the research participants, with adverse impacts on the outcomes of their cases.

Q: What were the potential ethical issues that were raised in this case? What strategies could have been used to prevent the harm to participants from occurring?