Interviewing people about potentially sensitive topics

Elmir, Rakime; Schmied, Virginia; Jackson, Debra; Wilkes, Lesley M

doi:10.7748/nr2011.10.19.1.12.c8766

Cited by 170 publications

(161 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…In nursing research, the researcher has to be aware of the reactions and emotions of participants. Novice researchers may find Walls et al's (2010) and Elmir et al's (2011) discussions of interviewing people about potentially sensitive topics, and Mitchell's (2011) reflection on the emotional potential of qualitative interviewing useful guides in dealing with these challenges.…”

Section: Conducting Interviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing and conducting interviews to collect data

2013

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Aim To describe three styles of interviews and discuss issues regarding planning and conducting interviews.Background Interviews are probably the approach most used to collect data in studies. They are particularly useful in uncovering the story behind a participant's experiences. Researchers can follow a line of questions to gain information about a topic, or further explore responses or findings. But the researcher needs to plan and decide the format of the interview before collecting data.

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Section: Conducting Interviewsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preparing and conducting interviews to collect data

2013

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“…Interviewing is a challenging activity which requires a high level of expertise and competence (Hynson et al, 2006;Mertens, 2010). This is particularly true when interviewing people about distressing or sensitive subjects (Elmir et al, 2011;McGarry, 2010). The relationship between the interviewer and interviewee is in itself complex (Owens, 2006) and, though premised on an artificial rapport, is characterised by an intimacy that belies the actual duration of the association (Dickson-Swift at al., 2007).…”

Section: Conclusion and Recommendationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Doing Sensitive Research Sensitively: Ethical and Methodological Issues in Researching Workplace Bullying

Fahie

2014

International Journal of Qualitative Methods

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Complex ethical and methodological issues can sometimes arise when conducting research into sensitive topics. By employing an autobiographic approach to explore the personal dilemmas that arose for the author while undertaking doctoral research on workplace bullying in Irish education, this article highlights potential difficulties and tensions which may arise for researchers (particularly those at the beginning of their careers) when conducting sensitive research. Specific attention is paid to the importance of protecting the researcher from harm, the exiting of the research relationship in an appropriate manner, and the necessity of anticipating potential problems before they become manifest.

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“…Willingness to listen to their concerns also assisted in building trust. Additionally, this created a less intimidating environment between the interviewer and participant (Elmir et al, 2011). Box 3 demonstrates the value of trust, which enabled this participant to provide a personal insight into the question posed.…”

Section: Enhancing the Interview Processmentioning

confidence: 99%