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Practitioners who undertake PhDs find themselves in a unique research position. They have a dual role of being a researcher, a doctoral candidate and also a practitioner. This paper describes my reflections on the journey of doing a PhD as an experienced social work practitioner. First, I describe my study which designed, developed and evaluated a psychoeducational intervention for foster carers in Ireland. Then, I discuss my reflections on my position in the research and how I theoretically framed my study in a pragmatist approach. I discuss the challenges I experienced as a practitioner and doctoral candidate. I conclude that my position as a practitioner and doctoral candidate was likely to have enhanced my research and the contribution it has made to social work practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Theorizing social work qualitative methodologies have always been closely related to the context of the studied subjects. This paper offers the framework of context-informed, counter-hegemonic qualitative research for theorizing research in conflict zones. Based on a case study of a group of Jewish and Palestinian social work researchers who examined together the effect of the loss of home on families during an ongoing political conflict, this paper explores the impact of participating in a research team on the researcher’s perceptions and study of otherness and otherization in the context of asymmetries of power. Analysis of the group dynamics discovered: (1) a growing ability to see and acknowledge the other, accompanied by a growing willingness to be attentive; (2) a growing ability to empathically listen to and hear the experiences of suffering of the other; (3) overcoming silencing by allowing voices of dissent, pain and resilience; and (4) creating a liminal space of “safe haven” for the researchers. The paper explores the development of context-informed group reflexivity leading to emancipatory consciousness and academic activism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Refugee populations are widely regarded as difficult to access for research purposes, often because of specific ethical sensitivities and practical challenges. Hence, research methods must be judiciously chosen and fine-tuned to ensure they are sufficiently sensitive and culturally appropriate. Bicultural Research Assistants, who typically share language and cultural similarities with respondents, may be gainfully employed to help address these challenges. By assuming a cultural ‘brokerage’ role, they are well positioned to advise the research team, helping to ensure culturally appropriate conduct throughout the study. Despite extensive use of participatory methods in qualitative studies, the experiences of Bicultural Research Assistants in research activities in tertiary hospital environments, particularly maternity care settings, are rarely reported. This paper addresses a deficit in the literature on this topic. It describes the roles and insights of five female Bicultural Research Assistants trained in basic research methods, and employed on an evaluation of a specialist antenatal clinic for women from refugee backgrounds. Their inclusion as members of the evaluation team was essential to successfully engaging (male) gatekeepers, recruiting eligible women, administering surveys, and conducting, transcribing, and translating interviews. Following the evaluation, the Bicultural Research Assistants contributed a one-off Focus group which explored their motivations for participating in the evaluation, and their experiences of occupying multiple roles as co-researchers, interpreters and respondents. Reported benefits included the acquisition of new skills, improved interprofessional relationships and greater acknowledgement of their roles and responsibilities by hospital staff and community stakeholders. Gender-related barriers were also described. Customary socio-cultural norms, which positioned women as relatively powerless and subservient, were frequently contravened by the Bicultural Research Assistants in their research roles. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Responding to the Special Issue call by the Qualitative Social Work: Research and Practice Journal, this article reflects on the challenges faced by a Social Work doctoral student at the University of Edinburgh (Scotland) during the Covid-19 outbreak. Having already commenced their fieldwork through a series of Freirean-style dialogical interviews via Biographical Narrative Interpretive Method (B.I.N.M.), the nationwide-lockdown demanded a drastic deviation from the intended in-person face-to-face interviews with lone parent participants. Significant academic consideration had already been given to the researcher's existing academic, professional, and social relationships to north and northwest Edinburgh - the geographical focus within the study - via a process of reflexivity prior to commencing the interviews, yet the shift from discussions in neutral venues (e.g. community centres and public cafes) to dialogues conducted exclusively via digital platforms brought about a radical shift in interpersonal dynamics as both researcher and participant were exposed to each other's homes, families, and other aspects of domestic life. The change in circumstances bore major implications not only for participant recruitment, but also created an unexpected intimacy within the interviewer-interviewee relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'insider' status of peer researchers can increase access to study informants, enhance data quality and empower them, but comes with challenges related to their ability to collect and analyse quality data and ethical challenges. We piloted a peer research methodology in Senegal as part of a qualitative study on access to sexual and reproductive health services for young people with disabilities (YPWD) to assess how working with YPWD as peer researchers influences the quality of data and data analysis alongside understanding the experiences of being a peer researcher. Our study reveals that peer researchers facilitated building rapport with study informants, but they lacked experience in effectively probing. Some demonstrated potential to be involved in data analysis, but further research is needed to explore their contribution to the analysis and quality of data. We recommend considering peers throughout the whole research cycle, beyond data collection, and providing the necessary training and tools to allow them to effectively participate in the process, especially regarding exploration of sensitive research topics. Reflexivity tools can provide insights into the experiences of peer researchers, as well as monitor their well-being during the process, and contribute to data quality, but must be accompanied by clear guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, we have witnessed a growing interest for the use of photovoice, also referred to as participatory photography, as a visual research method, particularly in social sciences. In this systematic review of the literature, we seek to explore how the methodology has been applied in studies that focus on research with, on and about women. We critically evaluate the potential of photovoice to 'give' voice to and empower female participants. Nineteen relevant articles were identified and analyzed using a descriptive within- and cross-case analysis. Several authors claimed their study was inspired by feminist theory; however, few were convincing in the way this was implemented in practice. Empowerment claims were made by many, however, seldom evaluated at the end of the studies. We outline how female voices can manifest themselves in different phases of a research process and present types of empowerment that can potentially be reached through photovoice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the impact of the researcher’s reflexivity on the data collection and analysis process in the context of a videographic study of home-based family caregivers of older adults. Going beyond a discussion of the role of the researcher’s subjectivity, the article builds on current literature by exploring how the researcher’s embodied self-reflexivity can be used to enrich video based research. The article addresses the researcher’s personal social location and shifting roles throughout the study and how these impacted on her work with the camera, her moment to moment ethical decisions and her perceptions of the participants’ realities. The author illustrates, through the use of journal and transcript excerpts, how the dynamic relationship between the researcher, the participants and the camera creates overlapping and complementary layers of information that together form a cohesive portrait of the action. Throughout, the article discusses the contribution of reflexivity to both the creation and resolution of ethical tensions in the research space. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]