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Ethics and safeguarding in user research

User research (UR) must always be ethical and safeguard participants, researchers, and product teams.

Research planning

Before starting UR, be clear on why you need it, whether the method is appropriate, and if incentives are suitable. This prevents unnecessary research and makes sure participants are fairly compensated for their time.

To develop an effective ethical research plan, you should:

  • write clear research aims - this avoids the collection of unnecessary data
  • choose the least intrusive research method that still provides required insight
  • check if existing evidence answers your question
  • determine if incentives are appropriate and, if so, ask the research operations (ReOps) team to purchase them using Gift Pay

To check if existing evidence answers your question:

  • discuss with the service team (especially the product owner)
  • review past UR
  • contact the customer insight (CI) team for relevant surveys or customer satisfaction (CSAT) data

Participants must give informed consent. This means they understand the purpose of the research, what participation involves, and how you will use their data.

  • consent forms must use plain English and accommodate accessibility, literacy and cultural needs
  • you must send an information sheet and consent form in advance for remote sessions. If forms are not returned, share your screen and review each statement before starting the research activity
  • during face‑to‑face sessions, review the form together with the participant

If a participant cannot give informed consent, do not continue with the research until they can. You can get consent from a guardian or relevant decision maker.

You should store all completed consent forms in the data library.

Minimising emotional harm

Participants may feel anxious, especially when discussing sensitive topics.

Support participants by:

  • introducing yourself with a friendly tone
  • asking for consent before observers join and making sure observers introduce themselves
  • allowing participants to decide whether to appear on camera or not
  • letting participants pause, skip questions or stop at any time
  • not pressurising them or using leading questions
  • checking if participants would like to end the session if they become distressed

Safeguarding

Safeguarding applies to all UR, but it’s especially important when conducting research with children, vulnerable adults, or those with health conditions. To understand escalation processes and signposting options, read the NHSBSA safeguarding policy.

Our consent process states we will not share individuals’ data before anonymising it. However, safeguarding is one situation in which we can break this agreement. If the participant expresses an intent to hurt themselves or someone else, we have a duty to report this using the NHSBSA safeguarding process. Be transparent with your participant about this when discussing the consent process. If your participant shares concerning information, stay calm, listen and document it factually.

Safeguarding participants is of prime concern. However, it’s also important to safeguard yourself and your NHSBSA colleagues supporting the research. You can do this by:

  • avoiding conducting too many research sessions in a short period of time
  • taking regular breaks
  • debriefing with team members, your mentor or your lead
  • engaging in self-care strategies that work for you
  • reaching out to the employee assistance programme (EAP) team if you need professional support

Data security

It’s vital that you let participants know:

  • what happens to recordings, notes, and responses
  • recording of any kind is optional
  • they can ask for their data to be deleted from our records at any time (this excludes anonymised data that has been through the analysis process)

To keep the data collected secure, you must store all raw data in the data library. You should not store it in shared folders or on work devices. You must delete temporary downloads of transcripts, recordings, and consent forms immediately.

To protect individuals’ identities, anonymise identifiable details in notes and survey data, and password protect any documents that contain participants’ personal details.

Accessibility and inclusion

We always aim to design UR to be inclusive and avoid unintentionally excluding users. To do this, make sure the language and format of all materials and sessions are accessible. Some elements you must consider are:

  • access needs, including the use of assistive technology
  • literacy levels
  • non-English speaking
  • digital ability
  • device limitations

To be inclusive of individuals with additional needs, it’s important to offer sessions with adjustments. This could include:

  • shortening or extending the length of the session
  • holding the session in a different setting
  • including a translator or support person

Follow up

Safeguarding does not always end when the research ends. Depending on the UR method and topic, it may be useful to signpost participants to relevant support organisations. Provide links to local or national services and charities, particularly if the topic is sensitive or the session has covered difficult themes.

Check on your own wellbeing by debriefing with your team to reflect on how the research has affected you and if any ethical issues have been identified that may need to be raised with the UR lead.

Seeking support

A Research Ethics Community of Practice (CoP) provides research ethics support to URs at the BSA. This group consists of experienced URs and ReOps colleagues who are available to:

  • respond to ad hoc queries regarding ethical UR practice at the BSA
  • peer review documentation from an ethical perspective, including face-to-face research plans and research being conducted on sensitive topics or with a vulnerable/high-risk demographic groups
  • provide debrief support to URs following challenging research sessions
  • advise on the safeguarding process - what to do to effectively safeguard participants/yourself as a UR

To access this support, email research.ethics@nhsbsa.nhs.uk

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