Research ethics in practice: lessons from studies exploring interpersonal violence in different contexts

Jo Vearey
,
Christine Barter
,
Patricia Hynes
,
Tony McGinn

Institute of Applied Social Research (IASR)

Research Output:

Contribution to journal

Article

Peer-review

Open access

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

Abstract

Studies researching interpersonal violence (IPV) are associated with a range of ethical challenges. In this article, lessons are drawn from three case studies exploring the experiences of different groups of survivors and perpetrators of IPV in diverse contexts: refugees in the Thailand-Burma border area; partner-violent adult men and female survivors in Ireland; and school children in five European countries. The ethical – and associated methodological – challenges faced, and the ways in which they were overcome, are presented. Drawing on the case studies presented, the article concludes that three key areas require special attention when conducting research in this field: accessing and recruiting participants, researcher skills and experience, and appropriate use of data.