Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers
Qualitative researchers often engage in work addressing challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics and are consequently exposed to the participants’ narratives which may be emotionally charged, distressing, or compromising. These narratives occasionally rest heavy on a researcher’s conscience or ma...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
SAGE Publishing
2022-09-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221124739 |
| _version_ | 1828406848339836928 |
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| author | Sergio A. Silverio Kayleigh S. Sheen Alessandra Bramante Katherine Knighting Thula U. Koops Elsa Montgomery Lucy November Laura K. Soulsby Jasmin H. Stevenson Megan Watkins Abigail Easter Jane Sandall |
| author_facet | Sergio A. Silverio Kayleigh S. Sheen Alessandra Bramante Katherine Knighting Thula U. Koops Elsa Montgomery Lucy November Laura K. Soulsby Jasmin H. Stevenson Megan Watkins Abigail Easter Jane Sandall |
| author_sort | Sergio A. Silverio |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Qualitative researchers often engage in work addressing challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics and are consequently exposed to the participants’ narratives which may be emotionally charged, distressing, or compromising. These narratives occasionally rest heavy on a researcher’s conscience or may linger in the mind. Much literature has assessed how best to keep participants safe, but less attention has been given to how we keep researchers safe. We therefore document the following: (1) Our experiences of the issues presented by undertaking qualitative research involving challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics; and (2) Practical principles devised to overcome these issues, ensuring safety and wellbeing amongst researchers engaging in these types of qualitative research. We provide guidance for qualitative researchers of all levels of experience and expertise on how best to protect and support themselves, their colleagues, and other collaborating research staff, when undertaking qualitative research which might otherwise feel uncomfortable or overwhelming to tackle. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:17:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b03094b056084d7089b7946a0aa4b664 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1609-4069 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T11:17:03Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | SAGE Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| spelling | doaj.art-b03094b056084d7089b7946a0aa4b6642022-12-22T01:51:07ZengSAGE PublishingInternational Journal of Qualitative Methods1609-40692022-09-012110.1177/16094069221124739Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative ResearchersSergio A. SilverioKayleigh S. SheenAlessandra BramanteKatherine KnightingThula U. KoopsElsa MontgomeryLucy NovemberLaura K. SoulsbyJasmin H. StevensonMegan WatkinsAbigail EasterJane SandallQualitative researchers often engage in work addressing challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics and are consequently exposed to the participants’ narratives which may be emotionally charged, distressing, or compromising. These narratives occasionally rest heavy on a researcher’s conscience or may linger in the mind. Much literature has assessed how best to keep participants safe, but less attention has been given to how we keep researchers safe. We therefore document the following: (1) Our experiences of the issues presented by undertaking qualitative research involving challenging, difficult, or sensitive topics; and (2) Practical principles devised to overcome these issues, ensuring safety and wellbeing amongst researchers engaging in these types of qualitative research. We provide guidance for qualitative researchers of all levels of experience and expertise on how best to protect and support themselves, their colleagues, and other collaborating research staff, when undertaking qualitative research which might otherwise feel uncomfortable or overwhelming to tackle.https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221124739 |
| spellingShingle | Sergio A. Silverio Kayleigh S. Sheen Alessandra Bramante Katherine Knighting Thula U. Koops Elsa Montgomery Lucy November Laura K. Soulsby Jasmin H. Stevenson Megan Watkins Abigail Easter Jane Sandall Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers International Journal of Qualitative Methods |
| title | Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers |
| title_full | Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers |
| title_fullStr | Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers |
| title_short | Sensitive, Challenging, and Difficult Topics: Experiences and Practical Considerations for Qualitative Researchers |
| title_sort | sensitive challenging and difficult topics experiences and practical considerations for qualitative researchers |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221124739 |
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