Ethical Research: Protecting Vulnerable Populations in Practice

This essay addresses the ethical considerations crucial in research involving vulnerable populations. It emphasizes the importance of protecting human subjects and their privacy, referencing the perspectives of Lange et al. (2013) and Shivayogi (2013) on ethical research practices. The essay highlights key issues such as obtaining informed consent, avoiding coercion, justifying the selection of vulnerable populations, and assessing potential risks. It underscores the necessity of ensuring participants' cognitive ability to understand the research's significance and their voluntary participation. Furthermore, it discusses the application of the Belmont Principle of Justice in participant selection and proposes methods for safeguarding the rights of vulnerable participants, including analyzing benefit-to-risk ratios, establishing safety monitoring committees, adhering to clinical practices and reporting guidelines, utilizing risk-assessment scales, and protecting participants' privacy rights.

Running head: EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
Name of the Student:
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1EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
Response:
While conducting a research, it is important for the researcher to ensure that the
human subjects are protected and their privacy is not breeched. As stated by Lange et al.
(2013), ethical considerations are an integral aspect of a research study. According to
Shivayogi (2013), a number of issues are common in relation to the vulnerable populations
and researchers must consider those aspects while evaluating the research. The primary
reasons include consent, coercion, rationale for choosing the particular population and level
of risk. It is pivotal for the researchers to ensure that while dealing with the vulnerable set of
population, easier availability, compromised position and participant’s susceptibility to be
manipulated do not overlap.
To ensure that the personal rights of the participants are protected during a research,
the researcher must thoroughly ensure that the vulnerable group of participants are able to
ascent their consent. This means confirming the cognitive ability of the vulnerable
participants that they are able to understand the significance of the research, the risks
involved and acknowledge that their participation is voluntary. The researcher must as well
assess the risks involved and compare it with the research outcome. Also, it is important to
weigh the individual and group benefits from the research to obtain approval. In addition to
this, the researcher must correctly address the possibility of coercion. Also, the researcher
must consider the Belmont Principle of Justice while selecting the participants for conducting
the research. The methods for safeguarding the rights of vulnerable participants would
include analysing the benefit to risk ratios, development of a comprehensive safety
monitoring committee, compliance with good clinical practices and reporting guidelines,
assessment of risk through risk-assessment scales and ascertaining the privacy rights of the
participants (Shivayogi, 2013).

2EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE

3EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE
References:
Lange, M. M., Rogers, W., & Dodds, S. (2013). Vulnerability in research ethics: a way
forward. Bioethics, 27(6), 333-340.
Shivayogi, P. (2013). Vulnerable population and methods for their safeguard. Perspectives in
clinical research, 4(1), 53.