Emerging ethical challenges in researching vulnerable groups during the COVID-19

This paper discusses the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on research ethics in social sciences by focusing on the concept of vulnerability. We unpack the current conceptualisations of vulnerability and their limitations and argue for the need to reconceptualise vulnerability as multidimensio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Qualitative research : QR 2024-06, Vol.24 (3), p.731-750
Main Authors: Pelek, Deniz, Bortun, Vladimir, Østergaard-Nielsen, Eva
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Climate change
COVID-19
Pandemics
Research ethics
Social research
Vulnerability
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Summary:This paper discusses the lasting impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on research ethics in social sciences by focusing on the concept of vulnerability. We unpack the current conceptualisations of vulnerability and their limitations and argue for the need to reconceptualise vulnerability as multidimensional, consisting of both universal and contextual dimensions, as well as their dynamic interplay. Multidimensional vulnerability is inspired by and relevant to social science research during the pandemic but can also be useful in other contexts such as climate change or conflict. The paper puts forwards several considerations about how this revised concept of vulnerability may be useful when evaluating ethical dimensions of social science research.
ISSN:1468-7941
1741-3109
DOI:10.1177/14687941231176945