Researching Distressing Topics
Qualitative researchers who explore sensitive topics may expose themselves to emotional distress. Consequently, researchers are often faced with the challenge of maintaining emotional equilibrium during the research process. However, discussion on the management of difficult emotions has occupied a...
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2013-05-01
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013490705 |
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doaj-36e435c3139a4511a2679e859933056c2020-11-25T04:02:52ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402013-05-01310.1177/215824401349070510.1177_2158244013490705Researching Distressing TopicsSharon Jackson0Kathryn Backett-Milburn1Elinor Newall2 University of Dundee, UK University of Edinburgh, UK University of Edinburgh, UKQualitative researchers who explore sensitive topics may expose themselves to emotional distress. Consequently, researchers are often faced with the challenge of maintaining emotional equilibrium during the research process. However, discussion on the management of difficult emotions has occupied a peripheral place within accounts of research practice. With rare exceptions, the focus of published accounts is concentrated on the analysis of the emotional phenomena that emerge during the collection of primary research data. Hence, there is a comparative absence of a dialogue around the emotional dimensions of working with secondary data sources. This article highlights some of the complex ways in which emotions enter the research process during secondary analysis, and the ways in which we engaged with and managed emotional states such as anger, sadness, and horror. The concepts of emotional labor and emotional reflexivity are used to consider the ways in which we “worked with” and “worked on” emotion. In doing so, we draw on our collective experiences of working on two collaborative projects with ChildLine Scotland in which a secondary analysis was conducted on children’s narratives of distress, worry, abuse, and neglect.https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013490705 |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sharon Jackson Kathryn Backett-Milburn Elinor Newall |
spellingShingle |
Sharon Jackson Kathryn Backett-Milburn Elinor Newall Researching Distressing Topics SAGE Open |
author_facet |
Sharon Jackson Kathryn Backett-Milburn Elinor Newall |
author_sort |
Sharon Jackson |
title |
Researching Distressing Topics |
title_short |
Researching Distressing Topics |
title_full |
Researching Distressing Topics |
title_fullStr |
Researching Distressing Topics |
title_full_unstemmed |
Researching Distressing Topics |
title_sort |
researching distressing topics |
publisher |
SAGE Publishing |
series |
SAGE Open |
issn |
2158-2440 |
publishDate |
2013-05-01 |
description |
Qualitative researchers who explore sensitive topics may expose themselves to emotional distress. Consequently, researchers are often faced with the challenge of maintaining emotional equilibrium during the research process. However, discussion on the management of difficult emotions has occupied a peripheral place within accounts of research practice. With rare exceptions, the focus of published accounts is concentrated on the analysis of the emotional phenomena that emerge during the collection of primary research data. Hence, there is a comparative absence of a dialogue around the emotional dimensions of working with secondary data sources. This article highlights some of the complex ways in which emotions enter the research process during secondary analysis, and the ways in which we engaged with and managed emotional states such as anger, sadness, and horror. The concepts of emotional labor and emotional reflexivity are used to consider the ways in which we “worked with” and “worked on” emotion. In doing so, we draw on our collective experiences of working on two collaborative projects with ChildLine Scotland in which a secondary analysis was conducted on children’s narratives of distress, worry, abuse, and neglect. |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244013490705 |
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