Having core principles that guide your work is important as a researcher. Here are a few that drive mine.

RESEARCH PHILOSOPHY

Curiosity

I try to lead with curiosity rather than fear when something is new or unfamiliar to me. Because of this, at the outset of any project, I look to existing literature to see what is already known about the subject at hand. Whether it’s a brief literature scan or a full review, I’ve found that grounding myself in extant scholarship makes my work that much stronger. And my curiosity enables me to feel excited about embarking into new territory, rather than daunted.

Cultural Humility

I have learned that there is no such thing as “achieving” cultural competence – rather, I am in an evolving journey of cultural humility. This includes having a deep openness to learning about the experiences and perspectives of others, including those that are misaligned with my own. It also means honoring and respecting the expertise that research participants bring to the table, rather than assuming I hold unassailable expertise they can’t access, augment, or correct.

"Desire-Centrism"

Through the incredible work of Indigenous scholar Eve Tuck, I have learned that in social impact-focused research it is easy to hold a “damage-focused” perspective – one that paints certain communities as irreparably damaged and forever miserable, to the exclusion of all else. Tuck has challenged researchers like me to engage in a “desire-centered” perspective instead – one that recognizes that although many communities we work alongside are harmed by systems of power and oppression, they are also resilient, multi-faceted, capable of resistance and changemaking and healing, and so much more. She calls us to do research that rejects one-sided narratives, embraces complexity, and honors the communities we work alongside.

Pragmatism

I try to balance pragmatism with idealism in my work. As a practical example, in a recent study I was tasked with ensuring we reached X number of interviewees in our sample. Despite numerous recruitment methods (involving multiple IRB submissions!), this target number was simply not aligned with the reality of the population we were attempting to recruit. Instead, I learned to ensure we reached thematic saturation in other, still rigorous ways. Additionally, I have learned that when I flag a problem, I also need to come prepared with potential solutions to that problem. This ensures I am not just raising a question; I am equipped to lead a conversation on its answer(s).

Trauma Stewardship

Because I often manage projects that are highly sensitive (e.g., suicidality, cancer survivorship), I engage in trauma stewardship practices. For inward-facing practices, this can look like mindfulness, meditation, and processing periods. For outward-facing practices, this can look like acting as a compassionate witness to the research participants I work alongside, and offering them resources while still maintaining professional boundaries. All of this forestalls the possibility of developing vicarious trauma.

Reflexivity

So much has been said about reflexivity in research, and I can only provide a brief snapshot here. For me, being reflexive in my work looks like acknowledging and (when possible) reducing power differentials; engaging in self-critique and self-reflection; being critical of systems of power and the way they shape our experiences and perspectives; and “asking the other question” – in other words, further interrogating matters when it would be easier to consider a subject closed. In practical terms, such reflexive research practices I utilize are field notes, analytical memo-ing, and regular debrief meetings.

Community Engagement & Benefit

Much of my research has been community-engaged. In such work, I prioritize warmth and sincerity, hold myself accountable to the commitments I’ve made to community members (e.g., if we said we would provide X deliverable on X date, I ensure we keep that promise!), and maintain a close eye on the relationship to ensure it doesn’t turn extractive. To the latter point, it is so important to me that there is no “parachuting in” to collect data that ultimately doesn’t benefit the community members themselves. And as a final note: I remain forever challenged and instructed by a former colleague asking our research team: Who are you accountable to in your research? For me, these accountabilities are informed by each project – and I try to proceed accordingly.

Meaningful Dissemination

Although peer-reviewed journals, conferences, and other “ivory tower” modes of dissemination are important, dissemination only within the walls of the academy doesn’t interest me. I am also interested in sharing out results to the communities we work alongside, in ways that inspire, move, and shift. One of the most important experiences I’ve ever had as a researcher was hosting a “data walk” of the stories of sexual assault survivors; the power of this experience is something I will carry with me forever. While I look forward to more publication and presentation opportunities within traditional spaces, I also seek to engage in dissemination through avenues such as zines, data walks, social media posts, and so much more.