You're conducting research with human subjects. How do you prioritize their well-being at every step?

In addition to obvious ethical considerations such as informed consent or approval from an ethics committee, it is essential to remember that the participants in our research are whole individuals. This perspective ensures that we take into account factors that could impact the results and might otherwise be overlooked. Furthermore, it is also necessary to specify how the data will be used—not only ensuring confidentiality and anonymity but also detailing how the data will be handled, stored, and eventually disposed of (after a certain period following the conclusion of the research) to guarantee the participants’ rights over their data.

Prioritize participants' well-being by involving them in the planning phase, using real-time feedback to address concerns, and maintaining transparency about risks and benefits. Regularly review protocols based on their feedback to ensure ethical treatment.

Human-subject research requires ethical approval. It entails submitting the study plan to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or ethics committee, which will assess the study's ethical standards, risk reduction, and informed consent procedures. Approval assures that the research follows ethical norms, preserving participant's rights and well-being while also protecting against any harm. This oversight promotes ethical conduct and public trust in research.

Right to Withdraw: make it clear that participants have the right to withdraw from the study at any time without any negative consequences.

The research process should prioritize the well-being of human subjects, ensuring their safety, rights, and dignity. Key principles include ethical review, informed consent, confidentiality, risk minimization, the right to withdraw, debriefing, support services, cultural sensitivity, monitoring, and feedback sharing. These practices ensure ethical, respectful, and beneficial research for participants.

A huge part of the documentation of informed consent is for it to be written and explicitly verbally expressed that this is a "living" document and process. At any time, without consequence, participants can change their minds, end participation, no longer consent, etc. Without understanding this, participants may take part longer than they are comfortable with because they feel an obligation to continue.

I want to underscore how important it is for you to write your consent forms in clear, simple, accessible language. It should be *super* easy for people to understand what you are asking of them, and in turn, decide whether they want to participate.

Participant privacy isn't just a box to check; it's foundational to ethical research. Respecting privacy shows participants they are more than just data points. It means being transparent about how data is used and ensuring every safeguard is in place to protect their identities. Prioritizing privacy builds trust and ensures that your research stands on solid ethical ground.

Ongoing monitoring is crucial to prioritize human subjects' well-being in research. Regularly check in with participants, ensuring their physical and emotional safety. Adjust the study protocols if any issues arise, showing empathy and respect for their comfort. Continuous communication fosters trust and transparency, making participants feel valued and heard. By staying vigilant and responsive, you can swiftly address concerns, maintaining the highest ethical standards throughout the research process. This dedication to their well-being ensures a positive and respectful research environment.

I completed a qualitative study using interpretive phenomenological analysis (IPA). This method has several stages of data coding and analysis to help the researcher understand how people make sense of their experiences. During every step of my immersion into, (and analyis of) the data I checked in with participants to verify that they still felt fairly and accurately represented. Otherwise, with so many steps, I would have run the risk of playing a game of "telephone" and losing what they were really trying to get at

Another thing to consider is to try to engage a few locals from the study group to participate in the research. This can give your study subjects some confidence and can be very willing to fully participate in your research. Rather than having very different people from your study group.

Prior to starting consider how pragmatic it is going to be to conduct your research with your chosen population. Are you working with school teachers? Then you will have to think about evenings and weekends. If its school children, you will have to integrate your project into the school day at the least disruptive time. Doing this will help mitigate prolonged projects due to unavailable participants. It will also help you to structure your data collection more efficiently.