Monash University, Australia; Monash Health, Australia.
Monash University, Australia.
Nurs Ethics. 2019 Feb;26(1):224-234. doi: 10.1177/0969733017695656. Epub 2017 Apr 3.
Conducting qualitative research, especially in areas considered 'sensitive', presents many challenges. The processes involved in such research often expose both participants and the research team to a vast array of risks, which may cause damage to their personal, professional, social and cultural worlds. Historically, these risks have been considered independent of each other, with most studies exploring only the risks to participants or only risks to researchers. Additionally, most researchers only consider risks during data collection, frequently overlooking risks that might be present during other phases of the research project. We aim, therefore, to bring together this fractured literature to enable an integrated exploration of the current academic discourse relating to risks to participants with the literature exploring risks to researchers across all phases of the research process. This article draws on personal experiences to highlight ethical issues and risks encountered by both participants and researchers throughout all phases of a research project. Beginning in recruitment, we discuss the risk of secondary distress in participants arising from researcher contact and then explore the concept of informed consent during grief and bereavement research. We then focus on risks present during data collection, examining risks for participants, such as emotional distress, and potential safety risks for the research team. Finally, we consider the risks which arise in data analysis, including both confidentiality and the possibility of researcher burnout. Previous recommendations are summarised, with new management strategies suggested based on lessons learned along the way.
进行定性研究，特别是在被认为“敏感”的领域进行研究，会带来许多挑战。此类研究涉及的过程常常使参与者和研究团队面临各种各样的风险，这些风险可能会对他们的个人、专业、社会和文化领域造成损害。从历史上看，这些风险被认为是相互独立的，大多数研究仅探讨了对参与者的风险，或仅探讨了对研究人员的风险。此外，大多数研究人员仅在数据收集期间考虑风险，经常忽略研究项目其他阶段可能存在的风险。因此，我们旨在将这些分散的文献汇集在一起，以便能够综合探讨与研究参与者风险相关的当前学术论述，并探讨在研究过程的所有阶段探索研究人员风险的文献。本文通过个人经验，强调了参与者和研究人员在研究项目的所有阶段都遇到的伦理问题和风险。我们从招募开始，讨论了由于研究人员的联系而导致参与者二次痛苦的风险，然后探讨了在悲伤和丧亲研究期间的知情同意概念。接下来，我们重点关注数据收集过程中存在的风险，研究了参与者可能面临的风险，如情绪困扰，以及研究团队可能面临的潜在安全风险。最后，我们考虑了数据分析中出现的风险，包括保密性和研究人员倦怠的可能性。总结了以前的建议，并根据一路走来的经验教训提出了新的管理策略。
