Search

Using data from an empirical study involving in-depth interviews with five qualitative researchers, a conceptual lens based on power dynamics and imbalances is applied to explore the researcher: participant encounter, within particular settings and conditions. The research relationship rests on the assumption that the researcher occupies a more powerful position than the participant and the knowledgeable and powerful researcher questions the participant whose position is automatically assumed to shift to that of vulnerable participant. However, this paper seeks to show the flip side, whereby research encounters unfold in such a way that the researcher becomes the 'vulnerable'. Although acknowledging the privilege and power of the researcher's position, this article reveals that power is multifaceted and manifests itself in complex ways: as a researcher, fear of being on unfamiliar territory; researcher anxiety about the unpredictability of participants; and researcher feelings of powerlessness to help; and so on – all impacts which are underexplored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the author's experiences and reflections of researching vulnerable people for a housing research project, this article explores the ethical dilemmas, and the health and safety challenges, of conducting in-depth, qualitative interviews with 'vulnerable' research participants in their own homes. Vulnerability, in a housing research context, takes account of: living in poverty; insecure housing/employment situations; poor health and/or mental ill health; alcohol and /or drug dependency, etc. Diary notes are used to illustrate the challenging situations that can unfold when working alone in the field in disadvantaged areas, with vulnerable people, which can present physical and emotional risk. Concern with risk and the potential impact on individuals is two-fold: that on the participant; and that on the researcher. Through reflexivity and revisiting of experiences in the field, this paper explains the difficulties and negotiations, and it provides some suggestions for better research practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]