Ethics in government user research

Now that we’ve explored the core principles of ethical research, let us examine these in the context of government user research.

In government, user research often involves potentially very sensitive and distressing topics. These may include:

• welfare and benefits
• death and bereavement
• medical issues
• citizenship
• migrant or asylum status
• employment
• housing and homelessness
• crime

When we ask people to participate in user research, we’re asking them to discuss and share aspects of their daily lives, both the good and the bad. Government services are a big part of daily life in the UK, and often people face barriers, frustrations, and challenges when using them.

Our role as user researchers is not just to listen and gather insight, but to do so ethically, safely, and with care. We cannot predict how people will respond during sessions, but we can plan and put safeguards in place before user research begins, as well as act in a caring and ethical way during sessions.

For example, in one project at the Home Office, user researchers explored how users with certain physical characteristics interacted with the passport service’s photo checker tool.

The topic was emotionally sensitive, so the team took extra care to ensure participants felt safe and respected. This included using clear and accessible language in recruitment materials and participant information sheets, and being mindful of how language can affect participants’ comfort and willingness to engage. Where appropriate, the team also considered whether translated materials or additional support were needed to ensure understanding. The team also planned for any emotional impact during user research sessions, and ensured support was available throughout.

When user researchers fail to follow ethical guidelines, there is the risk of harm. User researchers, observers, and participants can leave sessions feeling upset, unsupported, or even worried about their physical or mental wellbeing.

Failing to support participants may also cause them to lose trust in the organisation you represent – in this case, the government itself. That can affect how they engage with future user research or even with public services more broadly.

While user research may not directly solve individual problems, it plays an important role in helping government teams understand people’s needs and design better services. If people feel unsupported or unheard, that’s a concern worth addressing.

Ethics is foundational to user research. It should be a central concern through the entire process, from the proposal and plan, to the sessions themselves and in following up afterwards with additional support and resources.

In the next steps, we will learn more about safeguarding, and how we can minimise harm to user researchers, observers, and participants.

Task

Think about a time you were involved in user research that touched on a sensitive or emotional subject. If you have not yet encountered one, think about how you would approach the situation, considering what we have learned in the previous two steps.

Consider the following questions:

• what did you (or would you do) to ensure participants felt safe, respected, and supported?
• how did you (or would you) plan for the potential emotional impact to participants and the user research team?
• what would you do differently next time?

Share your thoughts and experiences with your fellow learners in the comments below. Remember to omit any sort of sensitive information from your responses!