My Research Relationships

The Memo on My Research Relationships

         The Memo on My Research Relationships

         Being a new international student on the Manoa campus highly preoccupied with the coursework, I have not established many relationships yet. Besides, with my husband being away, I spend every spare moment I get calling or skyping him. I am fully aware that this context might make it more difficult for me to establish necessary research relationships with the participants. However, being more of an extrovert than an introvert, I mostly feel comfortable with starting a conversation with a stranger or a person whom I do not know very well, especially if this person is around my age or younger. Besides, I get on well with my roommates - we already had some rather personal conversations. One of my roommates introduced me to a friend of hers who is as concerned about her studies as I am. Over the month that I have been here, we really bonded.

         As to the study that I am going to conduct, I hope to establish meaningful continuous relationships with future participants that would be ethically and politically appropriate. I also intend to work with them as mutual partners in the process of the research material production. In the memo below, I will argue that my inquiry needs to be ethically and politically correct, give my reasons for establishing meaningful and ongoing relationships with people contributing to the research, and discuss the level of closeness I am expecting from the research participants.

         To begin with, I acknowledge that my research, like any other research, has to be appropriate in ethical and political terms. I must be sensible when interacting with research participants in order not to hurt their feelings. I must be aware that their beliefs, religion, ethical values and sexual orientation might be different from mine and respect their personality and culture. Therefore, it is my ethical obligation is to put my efforts into understanding each participant as a person and the participants in general as a group.

         First of all, I should put myself in their shoes and ask myself how I would respond to the researcher's actions and words if I were in such position. Secondly, I should constantly monitor what I am saying and how I am saying it when communicating with the participants and adjust my behavior according to their reactions. Then, I should analyze each conversation and try to understand if I have done something wrong and what could have been said or done differently. Besides, if any difficulties in communication occur, I have to analyze the participant's behavior and do my best to understand reasons for these actions. Then, I may be able to improve my relationships this person.

         Moreover, I should help the participating students open up trust me. In order to do so, I myself should be honest with the participants and explain clearly the purpose of my study, what I want them to do, and what I will do with the collected data afterwards. It is also essential to thank the students, give them something in return for their willingness to be involved in the research. I feel that it would be appropriate to decide what to give them as a thank-you present after I get to know them better. However, it is necessary to let them know that they will receive some gift in appreciation of their efforts. I believe my home-baked apple pie and a letter of appreciation could be a suitable-for-all present. And, of course, after the research is published I will mail them their own copy.

         I also feel that it is very important to establish meaningful reciprocal relationships with the participants. I will be learning a lot about their lives, their beliefs, deepest thoughts and fears, obstacles they have gone through and things they are struggling with. After getting to know them so well, I see myself becoming if not friends then at least good acquaintances with the participating students. I will do my best to let them know that I see them as mutual partners in the inquiry process, not just research respondents. Besides, I feel that after spending so much time with the participants, one cannot stay indifferent to their lives. Thus, after the research is over I will keep in touch with them and hopefully they will keep me posted on meaningful events in their future.

         As stated above, I hope to become very close with the participating students, and I expect them to reveal deeply personal aspects of their lives. In order to do so, I am planning to spend one month in the setting before actually starting the research. I want to let them get used to me being around, to know me as a person first, and only then as a researcher. I will take part in campus activities with the participants, go to the cafeteria with them, and attend their parties and get-togethers. After they start trusting me, I will begin to give them more information about the research and ask them what else they would like to know about it, what doubts they have, and what they do not feel comfortable with. If necessary, we will make some changes to the research design working on it together. Thus, they will know that their opinions are valued and will become more comfortable with participating in the study.

         As to the participants' perception of me as a researcher, I think they will see me as their peer as I am not much older than they are. Sometimes they might see me as an old-fashioned person who is different from them. However, they are living and studying in a community of people with different backgrounds, beliefs and values and yet they have fun together and learn from one another. Therefore, I do not see the fact of me being a researcher to be an obstacle in building relationships with my participants.

         I will encourage the participating students to speak up their ideas and not be afraid to say something wrong. There are no right or wrong answers in qualitative research. It is important for the participants to know that. I do not want the research participants to feel that there is a power differences between us as I will learn from them a lot more than they will learn from me. I will encourage them to see me as a learner who came to their community to get more understanding about life and gain unique experiences by participating in their community. Thus, they will feel that they have the power rather than me.

         Finally, apart from sharing with participants information about the research and what will be done with acquired data, I believe there will be some implicit agreements. For example, each of us will know that it is important to be respectful to other people involved in research, to tell the truth and be judgmental-free.