title: Developing a safety protocol in qualitative research involving battered women.
abstract: Qualitative research involving battered women requires advanced planning to protect participants and the investigator from the risk of violence from an abusive partner. Domestic violence creates a potentially dangerous research environment that is seldom discussed in the literature. The use of a safety protocol has been advocated as a way to ensure that research is conducted with maximum safeguards for the participating women. In this article, the author presents a safety protocol developed for a study of battered women's perceptions of danger in their relationship. Issues that relate to safety contacting participants, conducting the interviews, and protecting data are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family and Community Nursing, University of North Carolina at Charlotte 28223, USA. drlangfo@email.uncc.edu
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Langford
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D018585:Battered Women / Q000523:psychology*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D003219:Confidentiality; D004993:Ethics, Nursing; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods; D019221:Mandatory Reporting; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods*; D016730:Program Development; D012307:Risk Factors; D012449:Safety; D012637:Security Measures / Q000458:organization & administration*; D013179:Spouse Abuse / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*