Marie Smyth & Emma Williamson 
Researchers and their ‘subjects’ 
Ethics, power, knowledge and consent

This book examines the role of participants in research and how research ethics can be put into practice. Specifically, It: discusses the ethical regulations and guidance governing researchers in different disciplines; analyses case studies of innovative research projects where ethics have been central to the researcher-subject relationship; assesses the impact of ethics on research methods and approaches; provides useful comparisons of research conducted by professionals and service-users; offers a unique insight into research participants’ perspectives, which are so often absent in discussions of research ethics. This book is essential reading for researchers who are concerned about the ethical quality of their interactions with their subjects, research funders and those engaged in research governance.

About the author

Marie Breen-Smyth is Professor Emerita and former Associate Dean at the University of Surrey. Emma Williamson is a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow currently working at the Centre for Ethics in Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.