ULAŞILMASI ZOR, SAKLI VE KIRILGAN TOPLULUKLARLA ARAŞTIRMA YAPMAK

Abstract

In academic studies within the field of social sciences, certain problems need to be comprehensively evaluated in the context of research ethics at each stage of the knowledge production process, from the design of the research question to the dissemination of research findings. These problems regarding research processes and ethics come to the fore and create ethical concerns and dilemmas for researchers especially in studies conducted with individuals and communities that are hard-to-reach, hidden and vulnerable. How should researchers access hard-to-reach and hidden groups? How should the position of the researcher be constructed in studies with hidden and vulnerable individuals and communities? How, to what extent and under what conditions should unexpected data be evaluated and disseminated when the research is on communities exposed to structural vulnerabilities? The answers to such questions do not only guide research processes, but also affect the social and political perceptions of the issues and communities under consideration. This article focuses on the common questions and ethical issues that arise in studies with hard-to-reach, hidden and vulnerable groups in the field of social sciences. The article aims to classify and discuss the main issues through the analysis of secondary sources published in the fields of research methods and ethics in social sciences, and articles reviewing processes of empirical research with the mentioned communities.