Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad Qualitative Research in Practice : Stories From the Field - Blogs Unpad
In-depth interviewing much they talked about each. Even so, we both knew that the expectation was that they would talk about their experience of sexual abuse, so the research was constructed in such a way that child sexual abuse was brought into focus. Nevertheless, I encouraged the women to talk about those aspects of their lives that they considered relevant to the study rather than just the sexual abuse. This approach seems to have worked to the extent that the women did talk about other aspects of their lives and some in fact volunteered that other sorts of abuse, such as verbal abuse and putdowns in childhood, had had a more lasting impact on their sense of self than the sexual abuse. Given the focus on the women’s stories, as they wished to tell them, I chose a deliberately reflective style of interviewing. As far as was possible, my questions flowed from or built upon a woman’s previous comments. They were often clarificatory in nature. Sometimes I asked questions that led women to state what was, in the context of our discussion, obvious. There were times when an appropriate therapeutic response would have been an empathic nod. In the research context, I asked the naive questions so participants could actually state what was implicit, but unspoken. Except when clarification was needed, I took the approach of letting the women talk until they had exhausted what they had to say on a particular topic. There were times when what a woman was saying did not seem, to me, to be immediately relevant to her experience of sexual abuse. At these times, I resisted the temptation to cut in and inevitably the connections the woman was making between the various aspects of her life story became clear. There were other times when the women’s comments related directly to things I wanted to explore further. While I did not want to break their train of thought and thus risk ‘losing’ what they were about to say, neither did I want to ‘lose’ the new avenue for discussion. I managed this by jotting down brief notes, no more than a word or two, about leads to follow-up later. More often than not, the woman came to the point I had jotted down herself later in the interview. It was only towards the end of the interviews that I clarified any remaining points. Not curtailing the flow of what the women had to say also involved respecting their silences. The women differed considerably in the time they took to collect their thoughts. I needed to be sensitive to when a silence was a working silence and when it 69
Qualitative research in practice indicated the exhaustion of a topic area. I decided to err on the side of not rushing in and always checked that there was no more to be said in one area before moving to another. There were undoubtedly many things I could have done differently. Others listening to the tapes or reading the transcripts might wonder at directions taken and things said or unsaid. One of the reasons for conducting the follow-up interviews was my curiosity about how the women had experienced the interviews. I did not expect, nor [did I] get, a detailed critique of my style, but in talking about how they experienced the interviews at followup, there was some validation for overall choices I had made. The follow-up interviews During the follow-up interview, the women talked about their experience of being interviewed and how they felt afterwards, as well as anything else they had thought of that they would like to add. I now turn to two aspects of what the women said during the follow-up interviews that reflect methodological choices that I had made. These are: my decision to limit my contact with the women to the initial meeting and two interviews; and the decision to only include women who were referred through support groups and counsellors. Both these decisions reflected my concern for the women’s well-being, that participation in the study would not prove to be detrimental to their emotional health and that, should distressing issues arise, they would already be linked to a trusted support network. Limiting contact My choice to contain the women’s involvement in the research process rather than have it ongoing and open-ended was an attempt to minimise any potential emotional distress that the women might experience through participation in the study and to provide a clear boundary around any expectation that they talk about their experience of childhood sexual abuse in this context. This was somewhat at odds with prevailing feminist research approaches. Certainly some feminist researchers at that time 70
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<strong>Qualitative</strong> research <strong>in</strong> practice<br />
<strong>in</strong>dicated <strong>the</strong> exhaustion of a topic area. I decided to err on <strong>the</strong><br />
side of not rush<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> and always checked that <strong>the</strong>re was no more<br />
to be said <strong>in</strong> one area before mov<strong>in</strong>g to ano<strong>the</strong>r.<br />
There were undoubtedly many th<strong>in</strong>gs I could have done differently.<br />
O<strong>the</strong>rs listen<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> tapes or read<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> transcripts<br />
might wonder at directions taken and th<strong>in</strong>gs said or unsaid. One<br />
of <strong>the</strong> reasons for conduct<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> follow-up <strong>in</strong>terviews was my<br />
curiosity about how <strong>the</strong> women had experienced <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terviews.<br />
I did not expect, nor [did I] get, a detailed critique of my style, but<br />
<strong>in</strong> talk<strong>in</strong>g about how <strong>the</strong>y experienced <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>terviews at followup,<br />
<strong>the</strong>re was some validation for overall choices I had made.<br />
The follow-up <strong>in</strong>terviews<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> follow-up <strong>in</strong>terview, <strong>the</strong> women talked about <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
experience of be<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>terviewed and how <strong>the</strong>y felt afterwards, as<br />
well as anyth<strong>in</strong>g else <strong>the</strong>y had thought of that <strong>the</strong>y would like to<br />
add.<br />
I now turn to two aspects of what <strong>the</strong> women said dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong><br />
follow-up <strong>in</strong>terviews that reflect methodological choices that I had<br />
made. These are: my decision to limit my contact with <strong>the</strong> women<br />
to <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>itial meet<strong>in</strong>g and two <strong>in</strong>terviews; and <strong>the</strong> decision to only<br />
<strong>in</strong>clude women who were referred through support groups and<br />
counsellors. Both <strong>the</strong>se decisions reflected my concern for <strong>the</strong><br />
women’s well-be<strong>in</strong>g, that participation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> study would not<br />
prove to be detrimental to <strong>the</strong>ir emotional health and that, should<br />
distress<strong>in</strong>g issues arise, <strong>the</strong>y would already be l<strong>in</strong>ked to a trusted<br />
support network.<br />
Limit<strong>in</strong>g contact<br />
My choice to conta<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> women’s <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> research<br />
process ra<strong>the</strong>r than have it ongo<strong>in</strong>g and open-ended was an<br />
attempt to m<strong>in</strong>imise any potential emotional distress that <strong>the</strong><br />
women might experience through participation <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> study and<br />
to provide a clear boundary around any expectation that <strong>the</strong>y talk<br />
about <strong>the</strong>ir experience of childhood sexual abuse <strong>in</strong> this context.<br />
This was somewhat at odds with prevail<strong>in</strong>g fem<strong>in</strong>ist research<br />
approaches. Certa<strong>in</strong>ly some fem<strong>in</strong>ist researchers at that time<br />
70
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