Universität Wien

400019 SE Researching Vulnerable Populations: Methodological, Ethical and Legal Concerns (2019S)

Continuous assessment of course work

Registration/Deregistration

Note: The time of your registration within the registration period has no effect on the allocation of places (no first come, first served).

Details

max. 15 participants
Language: English

Lecturers

Classes (iCal) - next class is marked with N

  • Monday 03.06. 10:00 - 16:00 C0628A Besprechung SoWi, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Tuesday 04.06. 13:15 - 17:15 C0628A Besprechung SoWi, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Wednesday 05.06. 10:00 - 16:00 C0628A Besprechung SoWi, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Thursday 06.06. 10:00 - 16:00 Sitzungs-/Prüfungszimmer, NIG 4. Stock
  • Friday 07.06. 10:00 - 16:00 C0628A Besprechung SoWi, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/6. Stock, 1010 Wien
  • Saturday 08.06. 10:00 - 16:00 C0628A Besprechung SoWi, NIG Universitätsstraße 7/Stg. III/6. Stock, 1010 Wien

Information

Aims, contents and method of the course

This module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of the ethical approaches and governance of health and social science research, as applied to sensitive issues and vulnerable populations.
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to demonstrate a critical understanding of:

1. The fundamental ethical considerations and legal frameworks underpinning health and social science research.

2. The ethical considerations arising throughout the research process: from initial project conception to research governance and dissemination.

3. Consent, capability and autonomy in research participation.
4. The general principles and practices underpinning the interests and protection of vulnerable research participants, including confidentiality and anonymity.
5. Ethical and practical issues relating to the safety of researchers.

Methods
The course combines various approaches to teaching including interactive lectures, seminars and practical exercises. Theoretical and conceptual concerns will be applied to particular cases and real-world examples featuring centrally in political science research. These will include sensitive research projects with children, LGBT communities, homeless people, older people, migrants and refugee populations affected by violence and war, and persons with severe mental health problems.
The sessions will be interactive and the student’s own research will feature centrally. Students will be guided towards developing their own research proposal by reflecting on its aims and objectives; the ways in which they will or would adapt their research methods to their particular vulnerable population; and reflecting on risks to participants and the ways they would mitigate them by engaging practical, ethical and legal considerations. Moreover, practical exercises carried out during workshops will allow students to engage with empirical case studies to reflect on the particularities of various vulnerable populations and related ethical and methodological predicaments.

Assessment and permitted materials

(1) Each student will submit a short summary of their essay (no longer than 2 pages, excl. bibliography) on Friday 28 June 2019. The aim is to write a concise summary of the research project including its aims and objectives, methods used and some of the possible legal, ethical and practical considerations that might emerge during the research process. The summary will be 20% of the final course grade.

(2) Each student will write a 3500-word essay (excl. bibliography) to be submitted on Thursday 18th July 2019.
The task is to investigate a vulnerable population’s experience of a sensitive issue of choice. In their essay, they will develop a project by providing the following project information and reflections:

- What are the aims and objectives of their project? (They are to provide the academic/scientific justification of the project including the principal research question, objectives and hypotheses to be tested)
- Describe how they will adapt their research methods to their particular vulnerable population, including sample selection, inclusion and exclusion criteria, methods of data collection, and how they will obtain informed consent.
- Describe the risks to participants and how they intend to mitigate them, by reflecting on the legal, ethical, and practical considerations in carrying out the research.

Students will be advised to discuss their chosen vulnerable population and sensitive issue with me before writing the essay. Moreover, additional essay guidance material will be provided.
The essay will be 80% of the final course grade.

Minimum requirements and assessment criteria

In order to be able to follow the course content, students have to be able to follow lectures held in English and read English texts from various disciplines. It will be possible to contribute orally in German and write assignments in either English or German. It is impossible to supplement the written assignment with an oral examination. In case that there are doubts that a student has not submitted their own work, an additional oral examination might be required.
Course participation has to be regular and active. Students are expected to attend at least 80% of their classes and must sign a registration sheet each time they attend a lecture in order to be able to complete the course successfully. Students should inform Hanna Kienzler in advance if they are not going to be able to attend a class, or about any unavoidable absences.

Examination topics

assessment (see above)

Reading list

see syllabus

Association in the course directory

Last modified: Mo 07.09.2020 15:47