How to Do No Harm in research

The Do No Harm is a framework based on the Hippocratic oath: “The physician must be able to tell the antecedents, know the present, and foretell the future — must mediate these things, and have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm.”

Designers, Giulia Bazoli and Dr. Pardis Shafafi, applied this term to design to highlight the importance of designers taking accountability for the act of designing itself as much as the consequence of the design on society and the environment.

This got me thinking: how can we apply this to our work as design researchers?

As design researchers, we don’t simply observe the world, we interact with it. We enter people’s lives, even if just for a short interview. We ask them to open up, to share experiences, to let us in. Research, at its core, is an intervention. It’s never neutral, and it never exists in isolation.

So what are the key considerations we might make when setting up a study?

Question our identity and privilege within the research team

Who we are, the biases we carry, the way we communicate —all of these things shape the interactions we have with research participants. The way a question lands, the comfort someone feels in a session, the trust they place in us—it’s all influenced by our presence in the room (or behind the screen).

To truly Do No Harm, it’s important to question our own role in research. Are we assuming we understand someone’s lived experience? Are we shaping the conversation in a way that centres our own perspectives?

Sometimes choosing a researcher who has a similar lived experience, even if they’re not the most senior, can help participants to open up and share. A useful habit to have during project is to reflect on your own biases, and hold yourself accountable to challenge those biases. Sway by Dr Pragya Agarwal is a great place to start if you want to learn more about biases!

Encourage participants to shape the session

Participants are not just sources of data; they are people with histories, identities, and emotions. This is why we must be careful. A misrepresentation can reinforce a harmful stereotype. A careless question can reopen a wound. A research session designed without consideration for emotional safety can leave participants feeling exposed rather than empowered.

One of these steps can be to inform participants what the session might involve upfront to allow them the space and time to reflect on their involvement and actively opt-in, rather than burden them to opt-out mid-research if they don’t feel comfortable.

Keep boundaries in mind

When working on sensitive topics, it’s essential to think about the emotional toll on participants. The act of digging into personal struggles can be emotionally taxing. Acknowledging this is important so that we take steps to mitigate any distress and ensure that participants are supported and feel in control of what they share.

And also sometimes the most empathetic thing you can do, is acknowledge when it is time to stop probing and keeping only to what’s relevant on topic rather than what is interesting. It is important to make sure you are not causing unnecessary discomfort or distress.

This conversation is far from over. As researchers, we must continuously reflect, adapt, and challenge ourselves. We invite others in the qualitative research community to join this reflection:

Can you think of other ways to minimise harm in research?

Sources:
Designit
Low Fidelity