Ethical research in conflict situations

Summary of published research¹

A recent article in 'Global Public Health' asserts that issues of power and consent, confidentiality, risks to researchers, and potential harm to participants, may arise when working with different cultures and within environments marked by violence and insecurity. Difficulty resolving these dilemmas may paralyse ethics committees, may fail to give the guidance sought by researchers, and will not help populations who are among the world's most vulnerable. Even where efforts are made to respond to ethical guidelines and to improve practice, considerable impediments are present in many developing countries, including lack of formal ethical review structures in unstable settings, lack of required skills, limited political and institutional recognition of ethical issues, competing interests, and limitations in clinical and research practice.

In conflict settings, these limitations are more marked and the responsibilities of the researcher for ethical practice are greater, but the mechanisms for oversight are weaker. Moreover, the constant focus on vulnerabilities and problems, and the often almost total lack of recognition of strengths and resilience, can further disempower already exploited groups and individuals. The capacity of refugees and communities in conflict to take an active role in the research process is seldom acknowledged, and undermines the potential for more innovative research that can help generate the evidence for better policy and practice.

The full article is available at: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/17441692.asp and clicking on the link to issue 3.

The authors welcome feedback on the issues covered in the article and can be contacted as follows: Professor Anthony Zwi, School of Public Health and Community Medicine & Associate Dean (International), Faculty of Medicine, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 tel: +61(2) 9385 2445 fax: +61(2) 9313 6185 email: a.zwi@unsw.edu.au

¹Zwi A et al (2006). Placing ethics in the centre: Negotiating new spaces for ethical research in conflict situations. Global Public Health, vol 1, No 3, pp 264-277, October 2006.