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A new report that addresses ethical concerns when conducting research with marginalized populations in Vancouver鈥檚 Downtown Eastside (DTES) could help to alleviate researcher-participant tensions in the heavily researched neighbourhood.

DTES residents鈥� growing aversion to research has caused some community members to adopt a strict 鈥渏ust say no鈥� policy when it comes to research requests鈥攐f which there are many. Some residents attest to receiving multiple requests per week from researchers.

SFU PhD student Scott Neufeld developed the , 鈥淩esearch 101: A Manifesto for Ethical Research in the Downtown Eastside,鈥� with 15 other contributors, many of them DTES research participants. The report鈥檚 findings and recommendations derived from a six-week series of workshops held in spring 2018. The workshops were sponsored by SFU鈥檚 Vancity Office of Community Engagement and DTES non-profit .

Mutual respect, reciprocity and access to completed research are just some of the many ethical concerns raised in the report. It also acknowledges that research has often been at the expense of DTES participants rather than for their benefit.

鈥淚t really bothers me that research, and researchers, have a bad name,鈥� says Neufeld, who is studying social psychology at SFU. 鈥淲e鈥檙e associated with the exploitation of marginalized communities and seen as disconnected from the struggles of people who are dealing with layers of stigma and oppression on a daily basis.鈥�

Jule Chapman, a member of the DTES and contributor to the report, explains that most residents have an avoidant and skeptical reaction to researchers.

鈥淥ne time, researchers asked residents to do an hour-and-a-half-long survey that was really complicated and confusing,鈥� says Chapman. 鈥淧eople were getting dope-sick during the survey鈥攖hat is, they needed to use drugs again to stop withdrawal symptoms.鈥�

These experiences are not uncommon in a neighbourhood that has been heavily researched over the past few decades. Many DTES community members are aware that the area has been studied significantly, but the high levels of poverty, substance use, disease, and housing issues have remained unchanged.

Neufeld found it surprising to hear just how committed some members of the DTES had been to the research in which they had participated, convinced that their work was going to lead to tangible positive changes in their community in timely fashion.

Samona Marsh, another DTES resident and contributor to the report, adds that sometimes community members will participate in the research for the monetary rewards, but they might often do it in a dishonest or inaccurate way.

This lack of accuracy could potentially be something that the report helps to address. 鈥淚 think more ethical and respectful research tends to be more valid and useful research, and that鈥檚 good for all researchers, and good for communities too,鈥� says Neufeld.

Neufeld and his contributors hope their work on the report will be the beginning of positive change between researchers and participants. The report has already initiated conversations around developing a community research ethics board to complement the University Research Ethics Board鈥檚 reviews of ethics applications pertaining to the DTES.

鈥淚鈥檓 incredibly proud of the work we鈥檝e been able to accomplish,鈥� says Neufeld. 鈥淩esearch 101 would not have been possible without the incredible group of DTES community members who came out to share from their rich experiences and wisdom.鈥�

鈥淲hat鈥檚 been surprising to me is how quickly the report has blossomed in the community,鈥� says Marsh. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of cool when people ask me if I鈥檝e heard of the report, and I can say, 鈥楢ctually, I helped to write it!鈥欌��

Chapman says, 鈥淚 hope it empowers participants in research and gets researchers more involved in community at the grassroots level in the DTES and beyond."