Researching domestic abuse and sexual violence – ethical and methodological considerations

This chapter explores the key ethical and methodological issues associated with researching domestic abuse (DA) and sexual violence (SV). The discussion begins with a consideration of ethical research and the principles upon which it is based, before exploring DA and SV research and the additional, often complex ethical challenges that researchers encounter. The principles of feminist methodology will then be explored and how these have been used to address the range of ethical challenges associated with research in this field. Finally, the chapter considers the challenges and opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students interested in researching this area, drawing on published best-practice and our experience of supervising students on the MA in Understanding Domestic and Sexual Violence.