Reflections of methodological and ethical challenges in conducting research during COVID-19 involving resettled refugee youth in Canada

Abstract

Research involving migrant youth involves navigating and negotiating complex challenges in order to uphold their rights and dignity, but also all while maintaining scientific rigour. COVID-19 has changed the global landscape within many domains and has increasingly highlighted inequities that exist. With restrictions focusing on maintaining physical distancing set in place to curb the spread of the virus, conducting in-person research becomes complicated. This article reflects on the ethical and methodological challenges encountered when conducting qualitative research during the pandemic with Syrian migrant youth who are resettled in Canada. The three areas discussed from the study are recruitment, informed consent and managing the interviews. Special attention to culture as being part of the study’s methodology as an active reflexive process is also highlighted. The goal of this article is to contribute to the growing understanding of complexities of conducting research during COVID-19 with populations which have layered vulnerabilities, such as migrant youth. This article hopes that the reflections may help future researchers in conducting their research during this pandemic by being cognizant of both the ethical and methodological challenges discussed.

The role of multisystemic resilience in fostering critical agency: UK adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…The difficulty of delivering research with young people during the height of COVID-19 restrictions in the UK have been articulated elsewhere (e.g. Salam et al, 2022), and this study was certainly not immune to these challenges. Our primary limitation relates to the short time window at our disposal for gathering data.…”

‘ZOOMing’ in on Consulting with Children and Parents Remotely to Co-Create Health Information Resources

“…There is a growing literature that critically considers online videoconferencing methods for consultation activities or research [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ], with some considering specific platforms such as Skype [ 40 , 43 , 44 , 45 ] or Zoom [ 38 , 39 , 46 ]. Less literature exists on engaging children in videoconferencing, although platforms, such as Skype [ 45 ] and Zoom [ 47 ], are being used to generate qualitative interview and other creative data effectively and safely. Work conducted prior to the pandemic has demonstrated that participants find Zoom relatively easy to use, cost-effective and generally rated Zoom above alternative methods such as face-to-face, telephone or other video communication platforms [ 43 ].…”

Lessons from the experience of adolescent migrants during the COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland: a qualitative study

“…It is also essential for the interviewer to have a good knowledge of the asylum system in the country of study and of the implications of the migration process for the person being interviewed (Ogilvie et al , 2008). Researchers must recognize the power dynamic that can be induced between the young participant and the investigator (Dona et al , 2019), as it could have consequences, such as making a young person feel obliged to participate (Salam et al , 2021).…”