Ethics begins in relationships, not rules. Attend and respond to the particular needs of the people your research touches.
Key thinkers: Carol Gilligan, Nel Noddings, Joan Tronto
The longer story
Care ethics emerged from feminist philosophy—Gilligan, Noddings, Held—as a challenge to abstract rule-following. The insight: we're not autonomous rational agents but interdependent beings in webs of relationship. Ethics isn't about applying universal principles; it's about attending to particular others and their needs. What does this person, in this situation, require from me? This matters enormously for research involving vulnerability, care contexts, or ongoing relationships with participants. The researcher isn't a detached observer but someone in relationship, with responsibilities that emerge from that connection. Care ethics asks: what do I owe to those who've trusted me with their stories?