Qualitative research into sensitive and emotionally laden topics can pose a number of challenges for researchers. This paper presents reflections from two social work researchers who have led multiple feminist-based qualitative research studies about research participation enabling positive experiences for women who have survived domestic violence. It is argued, women can identify new insights, find alternative ways of looking at their experiences, and access opportunities to debrief in a unique way in the research interview setting that differs from counselling experiences. The authors use the metaphor of ‘opening doors’ to show how women construct their research participation experience in similar ways and how researchers can draw on social work skills to enhance positive experiences for women.
AckerlyBTrueJ (2010) Doing Feminist Research in Political and Social Science, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
2.
AllenL (2009) ‘Caught in the act’: Ethics committee review and researching the sexual culture of schools. Qualitative Research9(4): 395–410.
3.
AltyARodhamK (1998) The ouch! factor: Problems in conduction sensitive research. Qualitative Health Research8: 275–282.
4.
BirchMMillerM (2000) Inviting intimacy: The interview as therapeutic opportunity. International Journal of Social Research Methodology3(3): 198–202.
5.
BuchananF (2015) Touching on emotions: Using clay work in a context of relational empowerment to investigate sensitive issues. In: BryantL (ed.) Critical and Creative Research Methodologies in Social Work, Farnham, UK: Ashgate Publishing Ltd, pp. 189–203.
6.
BuchananFPowerCVerityF (2013) Domestic violence and the place of fear in mother/baby relationships: “What was I afraid of ?: Of making it worse”. Journal of Interpersonal Violence28(9): 1817–1838.
7.
BuchananFPowerCVerityF (2014) The effects of domestic violence on the formation of relationships between women and their babies: “I was too busy protecting my baby to attach”. Journal of Family Violence29(7): 713–724.
8.
BuchananFWendtSMouldingN (2015) Growing up with domestic violence: What does protectiveness mean?. Qualitative Social Work14(3): 399–415.
9.
CampbellR (2002) Emotionality Involved: The Impact of Researching Rape, New York: Routledge.
10.
CampbellRAdamsAEWascoSMet al. (2010) “What has it been like for you to talk with me today?”: The impact of participating in interview research on rape survivors. Violence Against Women16(1): 60–83.
11.
CampbellRWascoSM (2000) Feminist approaches to social science: Epistemological and methodological tenets. American Journal of Community Psychology28(6): 733–791.
12.
CorbinJMorseJM (2003) The unstructured interactive interview: Issues of reciprocity and risks when dealing with sensitive topics. Qualitative Inquiry9: 335–354.
13.
CurtisKRobertsHCoppermanJet al. (2004) ‘How come I don't get asked no questions?’ Researching ‘hard to reach’children and teenagers. Child & Family Social Work9(2): 167–175.
14.
DaleyK (2012) Gathering sensitive stories: Using care theory to guide ethical decision-making in research interviews with young people. Youth Studies Australia31(3): 27.
15.
DavisonJ (2004) Dilemnas in research: Issues of vulnerability and disempowerment for the social worker/researcher. Journal of Social Work Practice18(3): 379–393.
16.
D'cruzHJonesM (2004) Social Work Research, London: SAGE Publications Ltd.
17.
Dickson-SwiftVJamesELKippenSet al. (2006) Blurring boundaries in qualitative health research on sensitive topics. Qualitative Health Research16(6): 853–871.
18.
FosseyEHarveyCMcDermottFet al. (2002) Understanding and evaluating qualitative research. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry36(6): 717–732.
19.
GriffinMGResickPAWaldropAEet al. (2003) Participation in trauma research: Is there evidence of harm?. Journal of Traumatic Stress16(3): 221–227.
20.
HemmingsA (2006) Great ethical divides: Bridging the gap between institutional review boards and researchers. Educational Researcher35: 12–18.
21.
HollandK (2007) The epistemological bias of ethics review: Constraining mental health research. Qualitative Inquiry13(6): 895–913.
22.
HoweKRDoughertyKC (1993) Ethics, institutional review boards, and the changing face of educational research. Educational Researcher22(9): 16–21.
23.
JohnsonBClarkeJ (2003) Collecting sensitive data: The impact on researchers. Qualitative Health Research13: 421–434.
24.
KleinR (2012) Responding to Intimate Violence Against Women: The Role of Informal Networks, New York: Cambridge University Press.
25.
LeeR (1993) Doing Research on Sensitive Topics, London: Sage.
26.
LeeRMRenzettiCM (1990) The problems of researching sensitive topics: An overview and introduction. American Behavioural Scientist33: 510–528.
27.
Lee-TreweekGLinkogleS (2000) Danger in the Field: Risk and Ethics in Social Research, London: Routledge.
28.
LiamputtongP (2006) Researching the Vulnerable: A Guide to Sensitive Research Methods, Sage.
29.
LiamputtongPEzzyD (2005) Qualitative Research Methods, 2nd ed. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
30.
McClainNAmarAF (2013) Female survivors of child sexual abuse: Finding voice through research participation. Issues in Mental Health Nursing34: 482–487.
31.
McCoskerHBarnardAGerberR (2001) Undertaking sensitive research: Issues and strategies for meeting the safety needs of all participants. Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung/Forum: Qualitative Social Research2(1):. Available http://nbnresolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs0101220.
32.
McDermottF (1996) Social work research: Debating the boundaries. Australian Social Work49(1): 5–10.
33.
McLellanB (2010) Unspeakable: A Feminist Ethic of Speech, Townsville, Queensland: Otherwise Publications.
34.
O'DellL (2003) The “harm story” in childhood sexual abuse: Contested understandings, disputed knowledges. In: WarnerSReavey (eds) New Feminist Stories of Child Sexual Abuse: Sexual Scripts and Dangerous Dialogues, London: Routledge, pp. 131–147.
35.
RoofJ (2007) Authority and representation in feminist research. In: Hesse-BiberSN (ed.) Handbook of Feminist Research: Theory and Praxis, Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.
36.
RubinABabbieER (2016) Empowerment Series: Research Methods for Social Work, Cengage Learning.
37.
SikweyiyaYJewkesR (2012) Perceptions and experiences of research participants on gender-based violence community based survey: Implications for ethical guidelines. PLoS One7(4): e35495.
38.
WendtS (2009) Domestic Violence in Rural Australia, Annadale, NSW: The Federation Press.
39.
WendtSBuchananFMouldingN (2015) Mothering and domestic violence: Understanding maternal protectiveness within gender power relations. Affilia: The Journal of Women and Social Work30(4): 533–545.
40.
WendtSZannettinoL (2015) Domestic Violence in Diverse Contexts, London: Routledge.
41.
World Health Organization (2005) WHO Multi-Country Study on Women's Health and Domestic Violence Against Women: Initial Results of Prevelance, Health Outcomes and Women's Responses, Geneva: World Health Organization.
