While there are concerns of increasing vulnerability and undue risk taking with compensation, there is a need to explore the impact of different types of compensation on vulnerable populations’ voluntary consent and how it shapes research-related interactions. By exploring the impact of compensation on study participants, the researchers hope to inform the ethical framework around compensation policy. This study draws on five focus groups conducted with 25 people living with HIV who use drugs and are clients at the Dr. Peter Centre, a community based HIV care facility in Vancouver, Canada. It explores the ethics surrounding perceptions of research compensation practices by research participants.

Citation: Collins, Alexandra B., et al. ““We’re giving you something so we get something in return”: Perspectives on research participation and compensation among people living with HIV who use drugs.” International Journal of Drug Policy 39 (2017): 92-98.