EOLDs who design and conduct any sort of research with clients or other EOLDS are bound by the fundamental principles of research ethics, outlined in the Belmont Report found here, (https://www.hhs.gov/ohrp/regulations-and-policy/belmont-report/read-the-belmont-report/index.html) which include:

1. Respect for persons - people will be treated as autonomous and be able to make decisions about whether or not they engage in research, and people with diminished autonomy will be protected;
2. Beneficence - research should do no harm and researchers will strive to maximize benefits while minimizing risk for research participants;
3. Justice - fairness (to access, recruitment, location) will be considered when designing any research study and participants should not be included merely because they are easy to access or are vulnerable and less likely to decline participating. Research conducted should have relevance to the population being studied.

 
Research Integrity Training: Researchers must have knowledge/training about how to conduct ethical research, such as that provided here (https://ori.hhs.gov/general-resources-0).
 
Conflict of Interest: Research should not be conducted with participants who are paying, or have paid, for services to the EOLD from whom the researcher is receiving funds (“dual role research conflict guidelines” - one cannot conduct research with someone who is also paying your wage and/or is vulnerable to care).
 
Informed Consent and IRB Approval: An informed consent process must be engaged for any persons participating in research that is intended for publication and/or wide dissemination (as opposed to internal quality control processes). Details of the specific informed consent process and a protocol of the study to be undertaken must be submitted to an Institutional Review Board (IRB) or a formally recognized ethics committee to determine that the basic principles of ethical research are maintained. No research should commence without specific approval by an IRB or ethics committee. IRBs are maintained by most universities, hospitals and healthcare systems, and can be accessed by the public at large.
 
Violations of these standards that are brought to the attention of the NEDA board are subject to NEDA Board review regarding consequences, including formal reporting to relevant IRB/ethics committee.