The Impact of Sensitive Research on the Researcher: Preparedness and Positionality

Authors: Fenge, L.A., Oakley, L., Taylor, B. and Beer, S.

Journal: International Journal of Qualitative Methods

Volume: 18

eISSN: 1609-4069

DOI: 10.1177/1609406919893161

Abstract:

There is currently limited research exploring the impact of undertaking sensitive or challenging research on the researcher, although some textbooks explore researcher preparedness. This article presents a discussion of the findings from a research project which engaged with the seldom heard voices of researchers themselves. The aim was to explore researchers’ experiences of undertaking research on sensitive topics, or with marginalized groups, as this can expose researchers to emotionally disturbing situations throughout data collection and analysis, which can be psychologically challenging. Although ethical codes of practice include discussion around protection of both the researcher and the participant, in practice, the ethics approval process rarely considers the impact of the proposed research on the researcher. Their experiences are therefore seldom acknowledged or heard, resulting in potential distress for the researcher. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with social science researchers from a range of discipline backgrounds and at different points in their research careers (n = 10). This article explores two themes emerging from the data: preparedness and positionality. It considers what these themes mean in terms of supporting researchers who encounter challenging research data, and issues related to supporting researcher reflexivity and the requirements for institutional support offered to researchers will also be considered.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33186/

Source: Scopus

The Impact of Sensitive Research on the Researcher: Preparedness and Positionality

Authors: Fenge, L.A., Oakley, L., Taylor, B. and Beer, S.

Journal: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF QUALITATIVE METHODS

Volume: 18

ISSN: 1609-4069

DOI: 10.1177/1609406919893161

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33186/

Source: Web of Science (Lite)

The Impact of Sensitive Research on the Researcher: Preparedness and Positionality

Authors: Fenge, L., Beer, S., Oakley, L. and Taylor, B.

Journal: International Journal of Qualitative Methods

Volume: 18

Pages: 1-8

Publisher: University of Alberta

ISSN: 1609-4069

DOI: 10.1177/1609406919893161

Abstract:

There is currently limited research exploring the impact of undertaking sensitive or challenging research on the researcher, although some textbooks explore researcher preparedness. This article presents a discussion of the findings from a research project which engaged with the seldom heard voices of researchers themselves. The aim was to explore researchers’ experiences of undertaking research on sensitive topics, or with marginalized groups, as this can expose researchers to emotionally disturbing situations throughout data collection and analysis, which can be psychologically challenging. Although ethical codes of practice include discussion around protection of both the researcher and the participant, in practice, the ethics approval process rarely considers the impact of the proposed research on the researcher. Their experiences are therefore seldom acknowledged or heard, resulting in potential distress for the researcher. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with social science researchers from a range of discipline backgrounds and at different points in their research careers (n = 10). This article explores two themes emerging from the data: preparedness and positionality. It considers what these themes mean in terms of supporting researchers who encounter challenging research data, and issues related to supporting researcher reflexivity and the requirements for institutional support offered to researchers will also be considered.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33186/

Source: Manual

The Impact of Sensitive Research on the Researcher: Preparedness and Positionality

Authors: Fenge, L.-A., Beer, S., Oakley, L. and Taylor, B.

Journal: International Journal of Qualitative Methods

Volume: 18

Pages: 1-8

ISSN: 1609-4069

Abstract:

There is currently limited research exploring the impact of undertaking sensitive or challenging research on the researcher, although some textbooks explore researcher preparedness. This article presents a discussion of the findings from a research project which engaged with the seldom heard voices of researchers themselves. The aim was to explore researchers’ experiences of undertaking research on sensitive topics, or with marginalized groups, as this can expose researchers to emotionally disturbing situations throughout data collection and analysis, which can be psychologically challenging. Although ethical codes of practice include discussion around protection of both the researcher and the participant, in practice, the ethics approval process rarely considers the impact of the proposed research on the researcher. Their experiences are therefore seldom acknowledged or heard, resulting in potential distress for the researcher. Semistructured interviews were undertaken with social science researchers from a range of discipline backgrounds and at different points in their research careers (n = 10). This article explores two themes emerging from the data: preparedness and positionality. It considers what these themes mean in terms of supporting researchers who encounter challenging research data, and issues related to supporting researcher reflexivity and the requirements for institutional support offered to researchers will also be considered.

https://eprints.bournemouth.ac.uk/33186/

Source: BURO EPrints