Research ethics with vulnerable groups: ethics in practice and procedure

In this article, drawing from a feminist epistemology, we engage in an exercise of encounter and navigation as we critically reflect on the ethical practices undertaken during research with vulnerable people. That research comprised engaging Sri Lankan refugees in an oral and visual research method that included walking through and filming their homes, followed by an in-depth interview. The research process was an intimate and emotional exploration of home, identity, and migration, for both the participants and doctoral researcher. The research revealed ethical challenges not captured in the project’s procedural ethics application. These ethical challenges were often navigated ‘in the moment’ and through ongoing consultation and dialogues with the doctoral supervisor. By drawing on these experiences, we underscore the importance of reflexivity and the role of the doctoral researcher-supervisor relationship in guiding an ethics of care approach.