Human Agency and the Meaning of Informed Consent: Reflections on Research with Refugees

Abstract

Recent analysis of the ethics of research with refugees suggests that there are practical and theoretical issues to be addressed in achieving informed consent from participants who are in vulnerable situations. This article reviews the questions that are central to this concern, focusing in particular on the challenge of ensuring that the human agency of refugees is sustained and promoted. A model for research work with refugees is described and discussed, drawn from a participatory action research project, which demonstrates a way in which these core ethical principles can be achieved.