Addiction Research Ethics and the Belmont Principles: Do Drug Users Have a Different Moral Voice?

Abstract

This study used semi-structured interviews and content analysis to examine moral principles that street drug users apply to three hypothetical addiction research ethical dilemmas. Participants (n = 90) were ethnically diverse, economically disadvantaged drug users recruited in New York City in 2009. Participants applied a wide range of contextually sensitive moral precepts, including respect, beneficence, justice, relationality, professional obligations, rules, and pragmatic self-interest. Limitations and implications for future research and the responsible conduct of addiction research are discussed.

What Women Who Use Drugs Have to Say about Ethical Research: Findings of an Exploratory Qualitative Study

“…Such statements imply that women were concerned about the "ethics" of research not merely in relation to the researchers' actions, but also those of research participants. This echoes findings of previous research with drug users (Fisher, 2011) and research participants more broadly (Cox, McDonald, & Hancock, 2010), where ethical responsibilities are seen to apply to both researchers and participants. 11.…”

Social and Structural Constraints on Disclosure and Informed Consent for HIV Survey Research Involving Female Sex Workers and Their Bar Managers in the Philippines

“…As a result, recruitment, disclosure and participation of female sex workers in research are often compromised (Uusküla et al, 2010; Ditmore & Allman, 2011). Respect and relationality, the reciprocal ‘give and take’ relationship in which the researcher maintains the participant's trust (Fisher, 2011), are especially critical when conducting research with female sex workers.…”

The Road to Paradise: Moral Reasoning in Addiction Publishing

“…In affording respect to each of these realms, researchers honor what Kass (2002) describes as "the rich broth of our social, civil, cultural, and spiritual life together and of the ways in which it seasons us without our knowledge" (p. 65). The well-being of the individual, of institutions, and of society as a whole is at stake in assessing the ethical issues that arise in addiction research, as illustrated by recent studies of corporate social responsibility programs, research on chronic drug users, and the use of animals involved in addiction research (Casswell, 2013;Fisher, 2011;Lynch et al, 2010;Miller et al, 2011). Consider the following scenario as an invitation to apply our discussion up to this point to the realities of a possible research publication situation:…”