title: The ethics of community-based research with people who use drugs: results of a scoping review.
abstract: Drug user networks and community-based organizations advocate for greater, meaningful involvement of people with lived experience of drug use in research, programs and services, and policy initiatives. Community-based approaches to research provide an opportunity to engage people who use drugs in all stages of the research process. Conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR) with people who use drugs has its own ethical challenges that are not necessarily acknowledged or supported by institutional ethics review boards. We conducted a scoping review to identify ethical issues in CBPR with people who use drugs that were documented in peer-reviewed and grey literature.
  
  
  
  The search strategy focused on three areas; community-based research, ethical issues, and drug use. Searches of five academic databases were conducted in addition to a grey literature search, hand-searching, and consultation with organizational partners and key stakeholders. Peer reviewed literature and community reports published in English between 1985 and 2013 were included, with initial screening conducted by two reviewers.
  
  
  
  The search strategy produced a total of 874 references. Twenty-five references met the inclusion criteria and were included in our thematic analysis. Five areas were identified as important to the ethics of CBPR with people who use drugs: 1) participant compensation, 2) drug user perspectives on CBPR, 3) peer recruitment and representation in CBPR, 4) capacity building, and 5) participation and inclusion in CBPR.
  
  
  
  We critically discuss implications of the emerging research in this field and provide suggestions for future research and practice.
authors.affiliation: Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor St. W., Toronto, ON, M5S 1V4, Canada. rusty.souleymanov@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors.forename: Rusty
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Souleymanov
authors.affiliation: Joint Centre for Bioethics, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8, Canada.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuzmanović
authors.affiliation: Division of Community Health & Humanities, Health Sciences Centre, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, A1B 3V6, Canada.
authors.forename: Zack
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, The University of Western Ontario, K201 Kresge Building, London, ON, N6A 5C1, Canada.
authors.forename: Ayden I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Scheim
authors.affiliation: Harm Reduction Peer Street Outreach Coordinator, Queen West Central Toronto Community Health Centre, 168 Bathurst Street, Toronto, ON, M5V 2R4, Canada.
authors.forename: Mikiki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mikiki
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health and Social Policy, Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria, HSD building, Victoria, BC, V8W 2Y2, Canada.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Worthington
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, ON, M5T 1P8, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret Peggy
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Millson
mesh_terms: D001290:Attitude; D026688:Bioethical Issues; D057191:Capacity Building; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research / Q000941:ethics*; D055030:Drug Users; D006801:Humans; D060926:Remuneration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders
keywords: Challenges; Community-based participatory research; Diversity; Ethics; Exclusion; Incentives; People who use drugs; Scoping review