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

Abstract

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.

Who else Needs Protection? Reflecting on Researcher Vulnerability in Sensitive Research

“…In sum, although there was a predominant focus in the research design upon managing and protecting the well-being and emotions of research participants, researcher risks were neglected at the outset. This is not uncommon as Kumar and Cavallaro [1] contend that much 1 of the literature on sensitive research focuses on ethical requirements and strategies for protecting participants while less attention has been given to the need for researcher protection [2][3][4][5]. Nonetheless, although our research proposal had sufficiently met the requirements of international and institutional review boards as well as funding bodies, we further felt the need to responsibly address researcher vulnerability in our research.…”

“…1 This recognition of researcher vulnerability raised a number of methodological and ethical issues that were not initially foreseen in the approved and funded research proposal. 2 Given the open-ended and long-term nature of fieldwork with a vulnerable group such as homeless people, the research proposal for this study primarily focussed on the protection of research participants. In other words, from the design and planning of all research phases to dissemination, this exploratory study was primarily concerned about the effects of our involvement with and consequences of our work with research participants.…”

Methodological Issues in Whistle-blowing Intentions Research: Addressing the Social Desirability Bias and Order Effect Bias

“…Although vignettes are widely used to address potentially sensitive issues in ethics research (Fahie, 2014), the use of such approach has its limitations. Their uses allow respondents the feel to indicate their intentions with no real commitment to the actual behaviour which may then lead to the problem of social desirability bias which were obvious in this study.…”

‘Spectacularly exposed and vulnerable’ – how Irish equality legislation subverted the personal and professional security of lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers

“…Accessing a sample to participate in sensitive research topics can prove challenging (Fahie and Devine, 2012;Fahie, 2014). Therefore, in an effort to maximize sample size and representationality, the author published a general article on LGB teachers in the primary teachers' union magazine 4 .…”