Any review of the literature on social research will highlight the significance of ethics in research and also the complexity of identifying and addressing ethical issues during the course of research. The key concern? All research involving human subjects has the potential of being exploitative and damaging, even when the intent is to benefit those who are being investigated.
These Guidelines build on and complement the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans which describes the policies of the Medical Research Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (available at http://www.nserc.ca/programs/ethics/english/policy.htm), and they are intended to minimize harm and ensure that the rights, privacy, confidentiality and well-being of homeless participants are fully respected.
For the purpose of these Guidelines, “homelessness research” is defined as any systematic investigation designed to develop or contribute to knowledge about homelessness. These Guidelines apply primarily to qualitative research (e.g. interviews, focus groups, consultations, etc.) and to independent researchers (consultants, academics, students, etc.) as well as community organizations contributing or hosting research activities.