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Summary and review
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Sensitive survey research is not an oxymoron, providing that care is taken through- out each stage of the process. Clearly, sensitive research poses unique ethical and methodological challenges whatever the chosen method. We have demonstrated in this chapter that it is possible to undertake ethically sound and appropriate survey research in relation to sensitive topics. Through the careful and thoughtful construc- tion and administration of a questionnaire, extensive piloting, participation in the research environment, and by structuring the sample to take account of difference, it is possible to give respondents, some of whom have little voice in research, a forum to share their experiences and thoughts with safety and without threat or coercion. This highlights one of the core principles of any research: that the respondent is never a means to an end but rather an end in themselves. Above all else, crimino- logical research should value the experiences and thoughts of those who agree to participate in our projects.
So, when you are thinking about undertaking research, you should consider the following questions carefully:
· Is my proposed research sensitive? Think about the types of questions you are going to be asking respondents and remember to put yourself in their shoes. If the question feels sensitive to you, then by and large it probably is and it therefore needs to be treated with respect and care.
· What are the key criticisms of my survey research? In other words, can you justify
what you are doing? If you can’t, then you probably should not proceed with the research.
· What are the advantages and disadvantages of using different methodological
techniques in my survey? Think about the various ways you could gather data and judge which would be the most appropriate research instruments to develop.
· How can I engage with the respondents? Can you spend time in the research
environment before the survey is administered? What support can you provide after the fieldwork has finished? How will you disseminate the findings?
· What ethical issues does this research pose? Be alert to the variety of ethical
issues posed by sensitive research and the specific ethical issues when research
respondents are under 18. You need to be able to satisfy rigorous ethical scrutiny in order to justify your project.
Clearly, sensitive topics require a sensitive approach. The survey method can be a blunt tool, but, as we hope we have demonstrated, when it is approached in a crea- tive, flexible and thoughtful way, the survey can be fine-tuned into an effective and ethical instrument. From our initial example of researching criminal activity amongst young migrant men, to uncovering experiences of intimate personal violence and victimization amongst children, the much maligned survey can be a valuable and effective tool.
STUDY QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS
1. What are the main criticisms of survey research?
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2. What issues are included under the umbrella term ‘sensitive’?
3. What is a ‘hard-to-reach’ group?
4. Are surveys ever an appropriate method to use when considering sensitive issues?
5. What ethical issues would you need to consider when conducting survey research with children?
6. Using one of the vignette types described in Box 9. 6, design a series of vignettes to explore one of the following topics:
a. Employees’ understanding of workplace bullying
b. Attitudes of the general public to methods used by the police in the preven- tion of terrorism.
7. You are directing a research project to reveal employers’ attitudes towards employing ex-problem drug users (PDUs). Devise a briefing note to the research team with what you think may be the problems with gathering data from employ- ers and how these may be avoided in the questionnaire design.
8. You are designing a survey to find out the experiences of foreign national (FN) women in prisons in the UK. In particular, you want to know how they experience their relationships with prison staff. Design some questions to be part of a survey using each of the following question types: ordinal, open, interval, yes/no.
9. You are thinking about conducting a survey with children between the ages of 11 and 16 to investigate the relationship between truancy and offending:
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING
Specifically on researching sensitive issues, Lee (1993) provides a full and timeless account of the issues and how to manage them. Chapter 5 is dedicated to conducting survey research sensitively. You can also find excellent guidance on the issues of sensitive research throughout the qualitative research methods books – see, for example, the fol- lowing texts:
Hollway, W. and Jefferson, T. (2000) Doing Qualitative Research Differently: Free Association, Narrative and the Interview Method. London: Sage.
Lee, R. M. (1993) Doing Research on Sensitive Topics. London: Sage. Chapter 5 discusses sensitive survey research.
Lee, R. M. and Renzetti, C. M. (1990) The problems of researching sensitive topics: An overview and introduction.
Silverman, D. (ed. ) (2016) Qualitative Research. London: Sage. There is a plethora of lit- erature dedicated to the art of survey research. The following (chapters in) texts provide discussions of the design and implementation of surveys in social research, including sampling methods, developing research instruments (questionnaires, inter- views), administering the survey, maximizing response rates, and a variety of ethical considerations:
Bachman, R. and Schutt, R. (2008) Fundamentals of Research in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Especially Chapter 6.
Bryman, A. (2001) Social Research Methods. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Especially Chapters 4–7.
Fowler, F. J. (2014) Survey Research Methods, 5th edition. Los Angeles, CA: Sage. Gomm, R. (2004) Social Research Methodology: A Critical Introduction. Basingstoke:
Palgrave Macmillan. Especially Chapters 4 and 8.
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