Ethical Considerations in Research with Homeless Population

This article discusses the vulnerable population of homeless people and the need for special ethical considerations in research with them. It highlights the ethical issues related to competence of minority youth, and the risk of jeopardizing the principles of respect for persons, beneficence, and justice. The article suggests strategies to uphold ethical principles in research with vulnerable individuals, including providing monetary incentives and essential commodities to encourage participation.

Research Methodology

1. The vulnerable population that is present in the article was the poor homeless people.
Homeless individuals often deal with a number of mental as well as a physical health
problem; therefore there is a need for some special legal or ethical research consideration.
They indulge more with the high-risk behavior like drug usage, unprotected sex with
numerous partners and involvement in violence (Kumar, 2018). Thus, they face
numerous obstacles for accessing the health care programs that comprise of neglecting
and discriminatingbehavior of the healthcare-staffs, requirement for parental consent,
deprived of insurance facilities, and complexities in understanding and following the
health-care system. Thus, this group of the vulnerable population needs some special
research consideration.
2. Ethical issues within this research of homeless adolescence that has appeared consist of
questions that are on the competence of minority youth who are homeless and are not fit
to participate in the research analysis (Goddard & Melville, 2011). At least 50% of the
homeless individuals are dealing with severe mental health issues as well as problems of
drug addiction which hamper their ability to understand the various questions that were
put in front of them. Thus, it can be concluded that the mental health issue could weaken
the problem-solving skills of those individuals.
3. The three basic principles that are at the risk of being jeopardized are; respect for persons,
beneficence, and justice. It should be essential that the survey research of the individual
ought to be carried out with respect. Thedignity, rightsas well as the welfare of the
participants within the research procedure are vital. Thus, it is necessary to take
precedence of the participants above the necessities of the research (Christensen, 2008).
There is no needto generalize the participants as one-third of homeless youth have faced
mental illness, the degree of depressions and have a high rate of suicides when compared
with the general population.On the other hand,research with vulnerable participants has
to be carried out in a non-judgmental means as these people face social exclusion and
discrimination.
4. Researcherswho are working with the vulnerable individuals in less developed countries
have used the strategy of providing a monetary incentive to the individuals when the
questions have been answered accurately. They also provided daily needed essential
commodities like food, water bottles, clothes etc. to encourage the unprivileged
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vulnerable youths. That makes them feel the humanity and the goodness of the ethical
principles that they inherit.They have seen enough in this world that seek compromisesto
survive (Dixon, 2010). All the ethical principles have been restored with the effort of the
researchers and their ethical principles of research strategies.
5. I certainly believe that the strategies undertaken by the researchers are adequate to uphold
the core principles of ethical research. The researchers are well aware of the conditions
and the lifestyle of the vulnerable homeless youths who definitely deserve a good life to
spend with all the basic needs to live. Along with that, they need the love and attention of
the fellow citizens and government to prosper and get scopes to make their life
meaningful according to their zeal.
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References
Christensen, L. (2008). Experimental methodology. Boston: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
Dixon, R. (2010). Basic linguistic theory. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Goddard, W. & Melville, S. (2011). Research methodology. Kenwyn, South Africa: Juta & Co.
KUMAR, R. (2018). RESEARCH METHODOLOGY. [S.l.]: SAGE PUBLICATIONS.
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