This study aims to raise awareness about the challenges that qualitative researchers face, offering insights into potential dilemmas and explaining how reflexivity, self-disclosure, reciprocity, and a well-planned exit strategy can assist in navigating and addressing researcher biases.
Authors
Pavitra Mishra, Jindal Global Business School, O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
Amit Gupta, Indian Institute of Management Amritsar, India.
Summary
This study seeks to understand the challenges encountered by qualitative researchers while investigating sensitive topics. We make a valuable contribution to the existing literature on researcher well-being and the mitigation of potential adverse incidents during data collection in studies on sensitive topics. The researchers maintained a comprehensive diary while conducting a study on the sensitive topic of work-family conflict among Indian working women.
The analysis of these diary entries revealed three primary categories of challenges: (a) emotional challenges encompassing emotional sustenance, self-awareness, the element of care, building rapport, reciprocity, breaking the connection, preparing for exit, and researcher exhaustion; (b) methodological challenges, including data recording and interview location; (c) ethical challenges, such as confidentiality and guilt; and (d) other challenges, such as establishing credibility as a mainstream researcher in academics.
This study aims to raise awareness about the challenges that qualitative researchers face, offering insights into potential dilemmas and explaining how reflexivity, self-disclosure, reciprocity, and a well-planned exit strategy can assist in navigating and addressing researcher biases.
Published in: The Qualitative Report
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