Managing Researcher Risk, Well-Being, and Emotional Safety in the Field

Presented by: Sam Evans

What do you do if a participant makes an offensive or derogatory remark during a focus group? How do you handle a participant who makes a pass at you during an interview? What if a participant threatens you over an incentive or scheduling decision? As qualitative researchers, one of our primary roles is mitigating the risks faced by our participants, but oftentimes we forget to account for the personal risks we face while on the job. Although the instances above may be rare, interactions with humans, even in a controlled research environment, can be unpredictable, uncomfortable, and sometimes dangerous. In this webinar, we will talk through steps you can take to manage these situations and their associated risks.