Ensign, J., & Ammerman, S. (2008). Ethical issues in research with homeless youths. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62, 365-372. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04599.x
The authors, doctors at the University of Washington and Stanford respectively, conducted research on the ethical implications of using incentives to entice homeless youths to participate in a variety of research studies. Using a web-based survey, the researchers gathered feedback from seventy-two healthcare providers, program administrators, and other researchers. After conducting the study, it was found that researchers with different backgrounds or research goals supplied different kinds of incentives for participation in research studies. Healthcare providers conducting health-related research were most likely to offer vouchers or gift cards in exchange for research participation. Money was more often used by researchers interested in mental health or substance abuse topics to obtain homeless participants. This article speaks to my goal for taking action by protecting the rights of homeless youths from being exploited, in this case from researchers seeking data at the potential expense of the homeless individual’s welfare.