RDI Network - Research for Development Impact Network

Beneficence is action that is done for the benefit of others. This principle implies that the research should have some expected benefit for participants. In this context it also means that the benefits for participants or their wider community justify any discomfort or inconvenience caused by the research.

Identifying potential benefits for research participants should be part of the design and planning stage of any research or evaluation program, ideally in consultation with local research participants, partners and/or communities. This will help ensure that the research is locally relevant, participatory and mutually beneficial for all involved.

Benefits of the research for research participants can be varied. Here are five examples of different types of potential benefits for people involved with the research:

Education: Research is used to further peoples’ formal or informal education; individuals or groups receive education or training that they would not have otherwise received.

New skills: Research participants develop new skills in research through their involvement, providing new opportunities for training and professional development.

Improved program delivery: Research participation allows development programs to best meet the needs of the individual, community and/or society.

Enhanced knowledge: Individuals and communities gain new knowledge based on the research and its outcomes. The knowledge may assist their own advocacy or self-determination.

Individual gains: Participants have an opportunity to voice their concerns and articulate problems to an independent observer without fear.

Tool H below provides an easy-to-use template for researchers to identify benefits for the research participants based on these different categories.

While it is accepted that participating in research may sometimes involve elements of inconvenience or discomfort, any risks of harm should be minimised at all times.

Research that addresses non-sensitive issues or topics, or that does not involve vulnerable groups would usually be considered low or negligible risk. However, when working with vulnerable groups in international development settings, the risk of harm may be heightened and research would thus be considered potentially high risk.

The Spectrum of Risk in Research

Negligible risk: Identified as an inconvenience, represents a minor negative outcome of research that does not cause discomfort and the research participant is willing to bear. Inconvenience might simply be giving up time to participate in research, traveling to the research location, or filling in forms.

Low risk: Identified as discomfort, represents is a negative outcome of participating in research. It is more than an inconvenience but less serious than harm. Discomfort might be caused by uncomfortable interview questions, lack of clarity about the research or sharing information that might be private or personal.

High risk: Identified as harm, refers to the adverse effect that research might have on an individual or group participating. It could be could be physical illness or injury, distress, pain, psychological disturbance, devaluation of personal worth and social disadvantage.

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It is the responsibility of the researcher to minimise risks, re-assessing the need for the research, or the research aims or methods, or both. Researchers also have a responsibility to include mechanisms or a process to respond to potential high risk situations, and cease research immediately if harm is caused.

Researchers can use the Spectrum of Risk Tool I to identify any risks involved in the research. Researchers can use Tool J to assess the likelihood of different types of risks and identify strategies to mitigate these.

When is Ethical Review Needed?

Research that is deemed to have high risk may require an additional ethical review process.

Tool K provides a flowchart that can be adopted for your research organisation to help determine whether an ethical review is necessary. Tool L offers an alternative method, in the form of a checklist.

If researchers do not have access to an informal or formal ethics review panel, please contact the RDI Network to help identify expert advice before commencing any high risk research.

Protecting Children and Young People

There is a fine balance between respecting and encouraging children and young people’s rights to participate in research and the augmented risks of harm that this poses. Defining, assessing and minimising potential harm to children from research involvement is a critical task.

Identifying potential risks for children and young people and preparing strategies to reduce this risk is key to ethical research design.

Harm may be invisible and elusive. In some cases direct harm may not be anticipated. However, there may still be some risk of potentially harmful consequences, particularly if children are sharing information about traumatic experiences or issues related to their marginalisation.

Understanding the local context in which the research is taking place, particularly in relation to children’s status and rights in the community is pivotal to devising contextually relevant and effective child risk management strategies.

Tool M offers a means of mapping both the risk and protective factors for children and young people’s involvement in research.

Tool N provides a risk management matrix to help you assess risk factors for relevant activities, what these risks might look like, strategies to reduce these risks and an allocation of who is responsible to monitor these risks regularly.

IMPORTANT: If a child or young person discloses that they are being abused or are at risk of being abused, researchers must first listen and respond sensitively. All disclosures of abuse must be reported to the researchers’ organisation, in line with its child protection policies. It is important to consider to the trustworthiness of local authorities before reporting cases of disclosed abuse to avoid greater risk to the child.

Promoting Researcher Wellbeing

Beyond benefits and risks to research participants, the principle of Beneficence also requires consideration of potential harm to researchers themselves. There are many risks of potential harm that researchers may encounter throughout the research process, particularly in terms of safety, potential trauma, culture shock and availability of emotional support.

These types of potential harm that require anticipation and early response, as well as support and leadership from managers too. Debriefing after research trips is a common strategy.

Devising wellbeing strategies during the research design is an important factor in promoting and protecting researcher wellbeing

Tool O provides a table that highlights some issues for researchers to consider with their managers when preparing to undertake their research in the field.