Advice please on research request

[CunningClaire]

Hi

I’m a PhD student and Mum of triplets. I’m researching adult recovery from childhood sexual abuse. Can anyone advise me where is the best place to post a survey research request on mumsnet?

I'm trying to think how to phrase this as gently as possible....are you entirely sure that a survey is the best way of collecting data? It's not typical to use surveys for very emotive topics (like child abuse) as you are not able to see or mitigate against harm to the respondents.

I agree with the others. This is definitely something to talk through with your supervisor (and the ethics committee). It’s not something that is necessarily best explored through an online survey, both because it is very difficult to do so in a way that is supportive of participants and also because (bring online) you may attract deeply problematic responses. You have much less control over who participates than you’d really want.

Five pies - it has ethics approval and is designed specifically not to cause harm or distress.

Miracle cure - I’m asking specifically about mumsnet as I was told people post research requests on here and thought the academics on here would know where.

Here: non-member requests

Thanks HardAsSnails.

Why would you introduce yourself personally?
I kind of wish my ethics committee was as lax as yours, OP.

Given that it is impossible with this topic to 'not cause harm or distress' via an online survey it seems as if the ethics approval process isn't great at OP's institution. Which is a terrible shame as academia and the participants both suffer as a result. Makes me wish Mumsnet didn't exist as it wouldn't then be the 'go to' for every survey going.

Wow I didn’t expect such an aggressive response especially when you haven’t seen the survey or asked me anything substantive about it. I have thought extremely carefully about this research and my research methods. I am also a survivor of abuse myself so am very clear that I want to reduce the risk of harm as much as is possible. As I said the survey is designed to reduce that risk ie I am not asking for any details about the abuse people have suffered but instead focussing on what has helped them in their recovery. The responses so far have been very positive and thanked me for doing this research.

Phew. Turns out that ethics committees can be even more thorough than mumsnet.

Ethics committees are not necessarily there to ensure that participants are not exposed to any harm or distress. Some topics will cause unavoidable harm or distress but are still worth discussing. The requirement then is to ensure participants give valid consent before participating, I.e. they are informed of the content of the research and can judge in advance how the research may affect them. People often participate in research that might harm them because they value the goals of the research, e.g. in this case, presumably, to learn more about how to help people recover from abuse.

The parts that puzzles me (genuinely) is

A) that you didn't seem to know precisely how to post a survey request on MN before got ethics approval. My committee demands so much detail in recruitment strategy section that I would have known that.

B) When we recruit for studies I don't say anything about my personal life. It isn't relevant and would be strongly frowned upon. My committee wouldn't even let me use a personal phone number.

So yeah... it also looks like your committee didn't realise that MN is a pit of vipers & you might get upset by replies. Did you have to write a Duty of Care Process for yourself in case the content you collected also upsets yourself? My committee demanded that, too. Even though we the investigators have no relevant personal background. Whereas you do have a very relevant background which I guess they overlooked. I'm being sincere when I say I wish I didn't have to jump thru so many hoops.

Medschoolrat -
A) the ethics application covered the method of distribution not specific channels. Mumsnet was recommended by a colleague who has since apologised.

B) Different disciplines have different rules about experience of the subject you are researching. In my discipline (sociology) it’s seen as an advantage as long as you are open about it then people can evaluate your results and conclusions with that in mind.

Yes the ethics application included mitigating the risk of harm to me. However that’s not an issue here.

I don't understand the sentence about advantage.

I can't see the survey posted on MN, I guess you gave up? I'm a dork who loves filling in surveys (was molested as a child, too... who wasn't molested as a child??).

I don't get responses from colleagues on a weekend (and some colleagues never respond at any time to emails). You're lucky there.

Seriously, you should share only minimal personal details online when your professional & personal lives cross.

*Medschoolrat
*
I’m frankly not surprised the survey hasn’t been posted after the unwarranted mauling you and fivepies have given her. If I’d received that response I wouldn’t have bothered either.

From a simple first post asking a straightforward question, you have made assumptions about the content of the survey, the robust nature of the institution’s ethics committee and the research methods. None of your conclusions could be justified from the content of the original post.

Rather than just responding appropriately and signposting the OP to the appropriate place, your need to feed your own ego’s rather than provide assistance and support to emerging academics is shocking.

This board isn’t AIBU, if you want a Saturday night bunfight maybe post over there next time.

Best of luck with your research OP, I sincerely hope that you find better places to post your survey.

I wish I had a big ego. I'd be a Proff & making at least twice as much money . People really don't reply to my emails. That's how unimportant I know I am.

I am genuinely envious of anyone who doesn't have the stress I've had with Ethics committees.

OP should give no or minimal personal details when recruiting.

Dear Claire,
Just sending some solidarity your way, as a senior researcher who has been the chair of several ethics committees. The comments above are patronising and disrespectful. How funny that people think that it's OKay to make such vile comments when you're only asking where to post (rather than for an ethical review of your application) and when they hardly know anything about your research. Anyway, good to know that next time my ethics committee is too busy I can turn to Mumsnet instead.
All best of luck with your research,
A fellow academic

Just posting to say the OP popped up on another forum I'm on and to the best of my knowledge, is a genuine researcher and not a troll.

But yes, OP, the link to non-member requests is the right one.