Researching vulnerable groups: ethical issues and the effective conduct of research in local authorities

The Data Protection Act 1998 and Research Governance Framework for Health and Social Care (Department of Health, 2003a) have brought consideration of ethical issues in the conduct of research into sharper focus. This paper, based primarily on the authors’ experiences of conducting research on children in need and outcomes for vulnerable children, examines the impact these changes have had on the research process. The difficulties experienced by researchers in gaining access to research participants in order to develop evidence-based policy and practice are explored. Finally, the paper outlines some practical steps that can be taken to facilitate the effective conduct of research.