Participatory Research Ethics Policy

Ethical standards for participatory work, written by the Participatory Practitioners for Change (PPfC) network

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Purpose

This policy sets out the ethical standards guiding our participatory research. It reflects the principles developed by the Participatory Practitioners for Change (PPfC) network and ensures that our practice is inclusive, respectful, rigorous, and oriented towards positive community impact.

Eight Ethical Standards for Participatory Work

1. Recognise Local Expertise

Local people are experts in their own lives. Practitioners approach engagement with humility, valuing lived experience alongside professional knowledge, and ensuring that participants’ insights are treated as essential to the research process.

Key practices:

  • Acknowledge the expertise of all participants.

  • Use local knowledge to inform decisions.

  • Clarify the role of participants and how their input will be used.

2. Proactively Inclusive Participation

Participatory work actively seeks out diverse voices, including those less often heard, ensuring equitable representation across gender, age, ethnicity, disability, and socio-economic status.

Key practices:

  • Identify and engage underrepresented groups.

  • Use flexible methods to overcome barriers to participation.

  • Monitor and reflect on who has contributed to ensure inclusivity.

3. Informed Consent and Transparency

Participants must fully understand the purpose, scope, and potential outcomes of the work. Consent is freely given and can be withdrawn at any time.

Key practices:

  • Explain clearly why the project is taking place and who it is for.

  • Outline how data and findings will be used and shared.

  • Provide accessible information in appropriate languages and formats.

4. Safety, Confidentiality, and Wellbeing

The safety and wellbeing of participants, volunteers, and staff are paramount. Confidentiality and privacy are strictly maintained unless explicit permission is given to share information.

Key practices:

  • Train all team members on safety and ethical conduct.

  • Protect sensitive information and anonymise data where necessary.

  • Anticipate and manage risks to participants or researchers.

5. Facilitate Genuine Learning and Reflexivity

Participatory work is a learning process for both participants and practitioners. Ethical practice requires reflection, adaptation, and responsiveness to new insights throughout the project.

Key practices:

  • Use cycles of engagement to refine understanding and methods.

  • Encourage self-reflection among practitioners.

  • Incorporate participant feedback to guide future actions.

6. Promote Action and Empowerment

Research should lead to meaningful change, skill development, and empowerment for participants and communities. The work should not end as a purely academic exercise.

Key practices:

  • Identify actionable outcomes with participants.

  • Build skills and confidence in local people through engagement.

  • Support sustainable change by linking findings to community initiatives.

7. Recognise and Address Power Dynamics

Participatory research is inherently political. Ethical practice requires acknowledging power imbalances and actively seeking to mitigate them.

Key practices:

  • Identify power relations among participants, researchers, and stakeholders.

  • Facilitate processes that allow marginalized voices to influence outcomes.

  • Make decision-making processes transparent.

8. Accountability and Professional Integrity

Practitioners are accountable to participants, commissioners, funders, and the wider community. Ethical participatory work is transparent, honest, and rigorously conducted.

Key practices:

  • Report findings faithfully, including unexpected or challenging results.

  • Maintain high standards of professionalism and honesty.

  • Ensure commissioners and stakeholders understand the participatory approach and its limitations.