‘Can I Take Your Photo?’ The Practicalities of Managing Informed Consent with Vulnerable Populations

Abstract

This chapter examines the rights of those who have their photograph taken for use by non-profit organisations (such as non-governmental organisations, charities, and academic institutions) and the obligations of those producing and using these images to not abuse those rights. The chapter focusses on informed consent as the key intersection of these rights and obligations. It examines the specifics of what is meant by ‘informed consent’ and the importance of the process of it being requested and given. The argument presented suggests, rather than seeing this process as a legal, one-off contract, that it should be seen as a relationship that may evolve over time and, to a degree, attempts to establish a more equitable relationship between those who produce and publish images and those who appear in them. It is suggested that this process can play a role in addressing a number of ethical issues, including the safety of the individual being photographed and how vulnerable populations are represented visually.

Citation

Godden, R. (2020), "‘Can I Take Your Photo?’ The Practicalities of Managing Informed Consent with Vulnerable Populations", Dodd, S. (Ed.) Ethics and Integrity in Visual Research Methods (Advances in Research Ethics and Integrity, Vol. 5), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 67-91. https://doi.org/10.1108/S2398-601820200000005009