Research Ethics, Participant Safety and Sensitive Topics

Research involving people requires appropriate ethics review and informed consent. Authors must consider confidentiality, trauma, stigma, retaliation, legal exposure and safeguarding, especially in work involving violence, sexuality, health, migration, discrimination or criminalization.

Recruitment and consent should account for power differences and community context. Use participants' self-identification, avoid unnecessary disclosure of sensitive locations or networks, and explain measures taken to prevent re-identification and harm.