ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the approaches, considerations and challenges when researching domestic violence and abuse with vulnerable and marginalised women. Any research commissioned or undertaken to explore domestic violence should be reflective of the populations, demography and complex social issues that women survivors of abuse are living with, self-identify as and experience. This approach to research studies is also to ensure that women on the periphery of society, or whose voices are less amplified and traditionally less heard in research, are centre-staged and acknowledged. Research must be inclusive of marginalised and vulnerable populations in order to ensure robust and pertinent resultant research data, prevalence rates and statistics, as well as findings and recommendations that are relevant, timely and valid. Enhancing research design to ensure that all victims/survivors of domestic violence have equitable opportunities to contribute to the growing knowledge base, to inform policy, legislation and service development is imperative to build research evidence that fully and accurately represents women and is important to ensure any subsequent responses reflect the diversity of women’s experiences.
The chapter outlines qualitative and quantitative research considerations, in addition to mixed-method research approaches in relation to undertaking research with vulnerable and marginalised women. Issues such as research ethics, research study design and dissemination are outlined in the chapter including participant recruitment via gatekeepers and consent considerations. Specific safety reflections and challenges to undertaking inclusive research on domestic violence are explored. Vicarious trauma, the impact it can have on researchers and research integrity is also discussed along with possible mitigating approaches to it.
