Unprepared for the Worst: Risks of Harm for Qualitative Researchers

Abstract

This paper draws on the results of an Inquiry, commissioned by Qualiti (Qualitative Research in the Social Sciences: Innovation, Integration and Impact), a node of ESRC's National Centre for Research Methods, into the physical and emotional harm suffered by qualitative social researchers. It argues that junior researchers and PhD students, the main recipients of such harm, are being let down by some principal investigators and PhD supervisors who are failing to manage researcher risks effectively. This record of the universities in researcher risk management compares poorly with the management of risks in cognate organisations, such as the management of risks to journalists in media organisations and of risks to fieldworkers in aid agencies. This deficiency in university risk management is arguably a matter of culture rather than deficient structures: an analogy is drawn with Mary Douglas's work on different cultural orientations to risk.

Keeping Academic Field Researchers Safe: Ethical Safeguards

“…There is some discussion in the literature regarding personal safety (Lee, 1995;Bloor et al, 2007Bloor et al, , 2010Howell, 1990) or as Howell (1990) defines as the 'human hazards of fieldwork'; however many of the scenarios presented illustrate the risks of contacting physical illnesses such as hepatitis and malaria (Lee, 1995;Peterson, 2000) or the dangers of collecting data in risky environments such as working with drug dealers (Lee, 1995;Sampson & Thomas, 2003). Examples of personal safety risks to field researchers include a case study by Belousov et al (2007) where they report the murder of a key gatekeeper at the beginning of the fieldwork; and a PhD student who was imprisoned without trial in Africa while on fieldwork (Bloor et al, 2010).…”

“…Examples of personal safety risks to field researchers include a case study by Belousov et al (2007) where they report the murder of a key gatekeeper at the beginning of the fieldwork; and a PhD student who was imprisoned without trial in Africa while on fieldwork (Bloor et al, 2010). Collecting data in these situations is indeed risky and universities take considerable steps to protect the field researcher.…”

“…Bloor et al, (2010) maintain that this is not a structural support issue but rather one of institutional culture. The culture of research institutions while supporting research by providing structures such as ethics processes and mentoring; may not recognise the risk that field researchers can encounter while collecting data.…”

“…Moreover, as has been shown in the UK, research budgets are perceived as being too tight to implement safe working practices such as researchers working in pairs or using a call-back system (Bloor et al, 2010). However, Bloor et al (2010) argue that using limited funds as an excuse not to implement such safe procedures is simply poor planning by grant holders.…”

“…However, Bloor et al (2010) argue that using limited funds as an excuse not to implement such safe procedures is simply poor planning by grant holders. In…”