On equal terms?

Abstract

Vulnerable groups are characterised by a special need for protection, e.g. because they are linguistically, cognitively or physically impaired or traumatised or have not yet developed certain abilities. So far, communication research has not addressed vulnerable groups as research participants from an ethical-reflective perspective—whether they are interviewed or observed in a study or exposed to potentially (re)traumatising content as transcribers or coders in a content analysis or as part of a research team. This article fills this gap by, firstly, specifying the concept of vulnerability and relating different approaches and models from procedural and situational ethics. Secondly, along the research process of study planning, sampling, data collection, processing, analysis and publication, the article focuses on phase-specific challenges and ethical considerations in working with vulnerable groups. Based on various examples, the possibilities and limitations of communication studies, along with other fields, are highlighted. The article concludes with recommendations for future studies and raises key questions that can guide self-reflection before and during communication research with vulnerable groups.