NEW Trauma in Research Special Interest Group (TiR SIG)

What are the unintended impacts of research on participants and on us, as researchers? How do we navigate ethics, emotions, and care when working with sensitive or difficult topics? If these questions strike a chord, we’d love you to join us in a new South Coast DTP Special Interest Group exploring Trauma in Research.

This SIG is a space for PhD researchers across all disciplines who are working with emotive, marginalised or potentially triggering topics – or who are simply curious about how to make their research more trauma-informed. We’ll explore how to care for both participants and ourselves, share experiences, and develop tools and approaches for safe, ethical and thoughtful research practice.

Our aims are to:

• Raise awareness of vicarious trauma in research
• Explore what trauma-informed practice looks like in real-world research
• Create a supportive space for discussion, learning and reflection

Our first online session will be held in October and will focus on BHT Sussex/Fulfilling Lives Trauma-Informed Social Research: A Practical Guide which covers some practical considerations for implementing a trauma informed approach to your research. An email will be sent out nearer the time with the link and agenda.

Future sessions will take place quarterly, both online and/or in person, and may include guest speakers, shared readings, residentials and collaborative workshops to explore challenges together.

Whether you’re just starting out or well into fieldwork, if your research engages with trauma, or if you’re thinking about how to do research with care, this SIG offers a supportive space to do just that.

If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to email us.

Co-leads: Clare Phillips C.L.Phillips@soton.ac.uk & Sadie Rockliffe S.Rockliffe1@uni.brighton.ac.uk