Research processes, including those that are participatory, are mired in power imbalances between researchers and co-researchers or research participants and their potentially competing interests. Social research involving groups or individuals who are deemed vulnerable bear elevated risks of overstepping personal boundaries and violating research participants’ rights. To mitigate the associated challenges, ethical review processes are typically conducted prior to research commencement, assessing and addressing potential risks in efforts to prevent or minimise harm to research participants. In considering the potential role of research processes in creating and exacerbating existing vulnerabilities, this article seeks to expand our understanding of research ethics by drawing on the theoretical tenets of protection concepts (Schutzkonzepte) that seek to safeguard the individual rights of research participants.