“We are the heroes because we are ready to die for this country”: Participants’ decision-making and grounded ethics in an Ebola vaccine clinical trial

This paper reports findings from social science research carried out in Kambia, Northern Sierra Leone during first year of an Ebola vaccine trial (August 2015–July 2016). The study used a range of qualitative methods to explore participant motivations for volunteering for the study. The authors analyse participants’ perceptions of the risks and benefits of participations, highlighting the importance of a contextual approach, focusing on four types of motivation: altruism; curiosity and hope; health-seeking; and notions of exchange. They argue for the role of social science in developing grounded research ethics and community engagement strategies that can take into account context and local realities.