Vulnerable Populations

Groups of people who have limited ability to provide their consent or have special privacy concerns

Why it matters

Research ethics get real the moment your participant is a child, a patient, someone in crisis, or anyone who cannot freely say no — the power imbalance means 'they agreed' is not the same as consent. The obligations scale up: guardianship consent, extra anonymization, the right to stop without consequence, and an honest question about whether you need this data at all. Getting this wrong does not just bias a study; it harms a person who trusted you.

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