Johns Hopkins University Research Ethics Call



Ethical Issues for Research Conducted During War and Violent Conflict

Research Ethics Casebook Editors: Dónal O'Mathúna, PhD and Emily E. Anderson, PhD,MPH

Dear Colleagues,

We invite you to develop an ethics case study to be published in an edited volume tentatively titled, Research Ethics During War: Case Studies From the Field, edited by Dónal O’Mathúna and Emily E. Anderson. The book will be available electronically, open- access, and translated into Ukrainian and other languages. Please forward this invitation to others you believe would be interested in developing a case.

Background

Violent armed conflicts increasingly occur around the world. Research is sometimes conducted during these conflicts to provide evidence about the experiences and needs of those involved, and/or to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, policies, and responses. The researchers working in armed conflicts encounter many ethical issues, some unique to war, and others common to research more generally, perhaps due to study design or population.

Few resources currently exist to prepare and guide researchers as they navigate the ethical issues that may arise designing and implementing studies during violent conflict. As part of a larger funded project on research ethics during war being led by Drs. Emily Anderson (Loyola University Chicago) and Dónal O’Mathúna (The Ohio State University), we
are seeking case studies from individual researchers or research teams who have conducted research during armed conflict. We welcome cases from various disciplines, including clinical, public health, psychological and social sciences, and using various research methods. The primary focus of the case study must be the ethical and moral issue(s) encountered during the research and how they were addressed.

Submission Process

Anyone interested in developing a case study should first submit a 300-word proposal/abstract—a brief description of the case study you are considering with a clear description of the ethical issue/dilemma and the research setting. Inquiries or proposals should be sent to perez.893@buckeyemail.osu.edu. We are accepting submissions on a rolling basis and will continue to review proposals until the Casebook is filled. If your case is accepted, we will provide information on the general structure for all cases (background, detailed description of the case, ethical reflection and analysis, and questions for further discussion). Final case studies should be between 1500 and 2000 words and be submitted within 6 weeks of abstract acceptance. We welcome submissions from early stage and experienced researchers. Cases must be written in English, but editorial assistance is available for those with less writing experience or for whom English is not your first language.

Some possible topics for cases include (but are not limited to) ethical issues with:

  • Recruiting participants during conflict
  • Unexpected ethical issues that weighed heavily on the researchers
  • Addressing dangers to participants, communities or researchers
  • Deciding when to withdraw from research sites (planned or unplanned)
  • Changing research protocols and procedures because of the conflict
  • Interacting with authorities during conflict
  • Managing scarce resources
  • Balancing research needs with other basic needs/injuries during conflict
  • Issues of neutrality and/or impartiality
  • Issues of trust and distrust
  • Issues of power and fear
  • Research involving people displaced by war
  • Challenges with informed consent
  • Privacy and confidentiality
  • Challenges during dissemination of research findings
  • Dealing with aftermaths, e.g. moral distress, regret, trauma.

Please email me (perez.893@buckeyemail.osu.edu) any questions. Best regards,
Talina Perez, Research Assistant The Ohio State University.

On behalf of
Dónal O'Mathúna, BSc(Pharm), MA, PhD Professor, College of Nursing
Associate Director of Research, Center for Bioethics and Medical Humanities The Ohio State University
https://nursing.osu.edu/faculty-and-staff/donal-p-omathuna

Emily E. Anderson, PhD, MPH
Professor, Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics and Healthcare Leadership Stritch School of Medicine
Loyola University Chicago
https://hsd.luc.edu/bioethics/aboutus/facultydirectory/people/emilyandersonphdmph/

December 2025
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
30123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031123
45678910