title: Balancing Methodological Rigor and the Needs of Research Participants: A Debate on Alternative Approaches to Sensitive Research.
abstract: Despite growing consideration of the needs of research participants in studies related to sensitive issues, discussions of alternative ways to design sensitive research are scarce. Structured as an exchange between two researchers who used different approaches in their studies with childhood sexual abuse survivors, in this article, we seek to advance understanding of methodological and ethical issues in designing sensitive research. The first perspective, which is termed protective, promotes the gradual progression of participants from a treatment phase into a research phase, with the ongoing presence of a researcher and a social worker in both phases. In the second perspective, which is termed minimalist, we argue for clear boundaries between research and treatment processes, limiting the responsibility of researchers to ensuring that professional support is available to participants who experience emotional difficulties. Following rebuttals, lessons are drawn for ethical balancing between methodological rigor and the needs of participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Work, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong simon@hkbu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: T M Simon
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Eli
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Teram
authors.affiliation: Aalborg Universitet, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D054521:Cultural Competency; D032984:Ethics, Research; D006801:Humans; D012107:Research Design; D012108:Research Personnel / Q000523:psychology*; D035842:Research Subjects / Q000523:psychology*; D012737:Sex Factors
keywords: Canada; Hong Kong; adult survivors; childhood sexual abuse; cultures; gender; interviews; qualitative; research ethics; sensitive research