Qualitative Approaches to Conducting Violence Research in a Transnational Setting

As social work researchers committed to studying issues around violence against women, we strive to conduct ethical research that highlights and emphasizes the voice of our participants. However, research on violence and lived experiences of the participants in diverse global setting is challenging particularly to researchers who are viewed as outsiders to the participants context. Qualitative research methods offer variety of ethical, community-based, grass-roots and participatory methods to conduct research that is valuable not just to the participants but also to advancing scholarship and policy making. This workshop will discuss various ways in which researchers can engage with the community. Ethical dilemmas and issues will be discussed along with challenges of navigating dynamics of being an insider and outsider to the research process. The workshop will also discuss challenges related to timeline, IRB’s and other issues that are specific to conducting violence research in a transnational setting.