Vulnerable population considerations

Vulnerable populations face increased risk of harm from research participation due to limited autonomy, power imbalances, or existing marginalization. This includes children, elderly people with cognitive decline, people with disabilities, refugees, incarcerated individuals, people experiencing homelessness, and others in precarious situations. Standard research practices that work for general populations can exploit or harm these groups.

Extra safeguards become necessary when researching with vulnerable populations. This might mean obtaining guardian consent alongside participant assent, providing additional support during sessions, ensuring research locations feel safe, or working through trusted intermediary organizations. Compensation requires careful thought. Too little fails to value their time, too much might create coercive pressure to participate despite discomfort.

Power dynamics intensify with vulnerable populations. A person experiencing homelessness might fear refusing participation if they think it affects access to services. A child might not feel empowered to stop a session with an adult researcher. Teams must work harder to ensure consent is genuine, create comfortable environments for saying no, and question whether research truly serves these communities or merely extracts their stories.