Over the past few months, we’ve been exploring different perspectives on ethics in community research, by facilitating ethics workshops with young people and migrant communities in Lambeth. These workshops were organised and delivered by High Trees together with our Lambeth Community Research Network (LCRN) partners: Juvenis, Indoamerican Refugee and Migrant Organisation (IRMO) and Milk Honey Bees.
During the workshops participants discussed what they thought ethical research projects should look and feel like for those taking part. They decided on these key priorities: research participants should always feel safe and comfortable, they should be made to feel included (e.g. by using accessible and inclusive language) and it should also be clear from the start how the research will directly benefit Lambeth communities.
Workshop participants also highlighted the practical steps researchers and community organisations need to take to achieve these priorities, and discussed the key questions that should be asked at the beginning, middle and end of every research project. The workshops were incredibly useful and important for understanding research ethics from a community perspective.
“The workshop was very interesting. Thank you for caring about the community and what we think.”
Learnings from the workshops will be crucial for informing the LCRN ‘Ethics Framework’, helping to establish guidelines for researchers and community organisations wanting to conduct ethical, community-based research in Lambeth.