HIP’s research team created this Code of Ethics to hold ourselves accountable to practicing research that is responsible, equitable, and just. We developed this resource with guidance from community organizers we have partnered with on previous research projects.
Human Impact Partners’ approach to research is rooted in sharing and building power in partnership with grassroots community organizing groups. We view power-building and power-sharing as a core strategy to achieving health and racial equity, and focus on building power in communities most harmed by structural inequities and racism.
We approach the research process as true partners, and aim to create an experience that honors both the humanity and complex truths of community members and organizers, as well as the humanity of HIP staff. The spirit of this Code of Ethics — and the spirit of our research — is heavily influenced by various forms of participatory research, wherein researchers, community organizers, and community members work as equal partners in the research process. Staff at HIP are accountable to the communities and the community organizing groups we conduct research with by adhering to this Research Code of Ethics to practice research that is rigorous, equitable, and just.
We envision using this document to:
- Introduce community organizing partners to our values as researchers
- Address organizers’ concerns about ethical research practices
- Hold ourselves accountable to conducting ethical, responsible, and engaged research
Our research principles:
- Research should be collaborative and in close communication with partners
- Research should be beneficial to communities and support our partners’ work to change policy and improve living conditions
- Research should uplift and reflect people’s lived realities
- Research should make sure that participants and their stories are respected and that participants determine how their experiences are included
- Research should offer acknowledgement and compensation to community partners and research participants for the time and contributions they give to our work
- Researchers should give participants the option to end participation anytime if they feel uncomfortable or if they’re reliving too much trauma
- Research should have follow-up beyond project completion
For questions or feedback, contact Sukhdip Purewal Boparai, Research Project Director at sukh@humanimpact.org.
