Ethics of Research and Service-Learning in Disasters

When collecting data for academic research or as part of a service-learning activity in an emergency setting, it is important to carefully consider strategies for participant recruitment, data collection, and the community work to ensure all stages of the activity are completed ethically and appropriately. Failure to consider the ethics of the intended work, specifically involving people affected by a disaster, can harm both the community and the quality of work. There are ethical issues involved with studying and working with human participants in any context; their well-being must always be considered and protected. Both disaster research and disaster-related service-learning projects will include participants who may already be distressed, traumatized, or coping with personal, financial, or professional losses. Further, disaster research and service-learning, compared to other fields, bring a unique and enhanced risk due to the “gold rush” whereby many hurry to carry out research and provide service as quickly as possible following emergencies. This “gold rush” can negatively impact the participants’ well-being caused by the reduction in quality of research and community service as a result of poor methodological designs, resulting in harming community trust and wasted research efforts. Increased planning, coordination, and reflection on reducing potential harm by researchers and service-learners can improve the quality of work and decrease the likelihood of causing research fatigue, distrust, or psychological harm in disaster-affected communities.