Ethics in Transnational research

What:   

This training will unpack transnational research ethics focusing on the best practice in relation to ethical principles, frameworks, and codes of conduct which guide research conducted across national, cultural, legal, and institutional boundaries. The training will explore the theoretical foundations of transnational ethics which recognises that research—including in the fields of the social sciences —often involves unequal power relations between researchers (often based in the Global North) and participants or communities (often in the Global South). 

This training will explore through case studies and different social science disciplines the ethical standards and reflexive practices that ensure research conducted across borders is: 

• Culturally respectful 

• Socially responsible 

• Politically aware 

• Equitable in power and benefit-sharing 

Transnational research ethics go beyond standard university ethics forms by engaging with context-specific norms, global inequalities, and postcolonial dynamics that shape research relationships. This training will explore these themes whilst also looking at the practical measures researchers must go through to obtain approval in multiple contexts where the protocols may differ and be hard to navigate.  

 When:  

The residential takes place 9-11 March, with arrival at 10am on 9th and ending at 3pm on the 11th.  

Where:  

TBC

The expertise:  

This training will be led by international researchers including: 

 Professor Nafisa Bedri, Professor of Gender and Reproductive Health in Africa, Ahfad University for Women, Sudan, BA Global Professor The Centre for Advancement of Equality, Gender, and Inclusion Studies (AEGIS) 

Dr Busra Nisa Sarac (Senior Lecturer in International Security and Gender Studies, University of Portsmouth) 

Dr Simon Kolstoe (Associate Professor of Bioethics & University Ethics Advisor, University of Portsmouth, UK, Chair, MOD Research Ethics Committee (MODREC) Chair, UKHSA Research Ethics & Governance Group, Chair, Cambs & Herts HRA (NHS) REC 

Who is the training for:  

The training is suitable for PhD students across the DTP network who have conducted, or plan to conduct, research in transnational settings that may not be their own. The research will provide important training into the different ethical approaches but also give guidance on the particular protocols expected including sharing specific examples of different approval processes and safeguarding protocols. The research will aim to give both a theoretical background into the field of transnational ethics whilst also giving practical and logistical support. Current SCDTP PhD students, in additional to the invited speakers, will share their experiences of conducting transnational research including in fragile conflict contexts and within the digital space with participants from diverse heritage.  

Details of the course (to be finalised): 

Day 1   Introducing the field of transnational research ethics the challenges of navigating the dynamics of power and context 

 On the first day the training will cover the core principles including.  

• Respect for local contexts and norms. Recognising and valuing local ethical traditions and community authority structures. Avoiding the imposition of Western-centric ethical models. 

• Equity and reciprocity. Ensuring fair benefit-sharing between researchers and researched communities. Avoiding extractive research practices (e.g., taking data without giving back). 

• Informed consent across cultures. Understanding that consent might be collective (via community leaders) rather than individual. Accounting for language barriers, literacy, and differing understandings of “research”. 

• Power, positionality, and reflexivity. Researchers must reflect on their own power, privilege, and the implications of representing others. Ethical reflexivity means continually questioning who benefits and who may be harmed. 

• Data sovereignty and knowledge ownership. Respecting local and Indigenous ownership of knowledge and data. Challenging the idea that data automatically “belongs” to the researcher or their institution. 

• Accountability and collaboration. Involving local researchers, NGOs, and participants in the design, implementation, and dissemination of research. Ensuring findings are accessible and beneficial to the communities studied. 

In covering the above topics, the training will explore the following key theoretical influences 

• Postcolonial and decolonial theory → critiques of extractive Western research models (e.g., Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing Methodologies, 1999 see reading list for more extensive references). 

• Feminist ethics of care → emphasises relational, situated, and context-sensitive ethics. 

• Global research governance frameworks → such as the Declaration of Helsinki, Belmont Report, and UNESCO’s Universal Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights, adapted for cross-border work. 

Day 2.  Putting theories and frameworks into practice  

On the second day our speakers will share their own experiences of conducting research in complex settings and on sensitive topics, including 

• Researching vulnerable communities in conflict areas case studies from Sudan, Nigeria, Myanmar and Kurdistan 

• Applied research in health/medical areas such as vaccination research, defence and military studies 

• Working with children and vulnerable adults in transnational contexts  

• Research across borders in the digital space.  

 In the second half of the day the training will drill into the practical elements of ethical transnational research 

• Navigating IRBs in different contexts 

• Safeguarding training including self-care for researchers 

• Design and implementation of ethical protocols abroad, and when you are not there in person  

• Navigating internal risk assessment challenges.