Conducting multicultural market research isn’t as simple as it seems. It often involves working with marginalized, oppressed, or vulnerable communities, making ethnic participant safety a major concern.
Here are a few things researchers should do to protect their participants.
Obtain Informed Consent
It’s crucial to obtain the participants’ informed consent before including them in a study. Researchers must inform potential participants about the nature of the study, what it would entail, what the participants should expect, and the complete terms and conditions of their participation. Participants should know if the details of their responses and participation will remain confidential and anonymous or disclosed. They should also be informed of any other existing or potential factors that could directly impact them during or after the study.
Only once the participants have all the information they need can they give their informed consent. This should ideally be obtained formally through a written agreement, but informal consent may be acquired if the research is on an especially sensitive subject or the participants are particularly vulnerable.
Manage Vulnerability
Speaking of vulnerability, that’s another thing researchers must focus on when working with ethnic groups. Participants from certain ethnic groups are more vulnerable to exploitation and coercion because of the systematic social, political, cultural, and economic inequalities. This is why it’s even more important to amplify their voices for authenticity instead of modifying them to match a preconceived narrative.
Researchers need to identify what may make an ethnic group more vulnerable and take appropriate measures to protect their participants. This includes using data collection methods that don’t add to the existing vulnerabilities and enables the participants to share honest responses. When broaching sensitive topics, it’s also advisable to offer counseling services to participants to ensure their psychological and emotional well-being.
Advocate for Human Rights
Researchers shouldn’t fill up the role of passive data analysts. Instead, they should actively advocate for change and facilitate social justice and equality through their actions.
In other words, researchers should be more involved in the research process and not just view it as a data collection activity. Working with ethnic groups means they’ll likely discover new challenges and issues facing those communities. They should use the experience to positively contribute to their participants’ lives, one way or another.
Work with Our Multicultural Marketing Research Experts
Ethnotics is an experienced multicultural marketing research agency in New York that helps businesses with their ethnic market research. Our market research experts and analysts use ethical practices to collect data from ethnic communities to help brands connect with their target audiences.
Reach out our team today for more details.