[Last modified: December, 10 2024 02:40 PM]
In the case about women survivors of domestic abuse in Pakistan, I would make following suggestions for the student:
- Get written informed consent from the participants and make sure each one of them knows exactly the content, aim of the research and how the data may be used, because sometimes there may exist misunderstanding and information mismatch between the researchers and the participants
- Keep all the details related to the personal information of the participants confidential, since they are victims of domestic abuse, they are very likely to face retaliation by their partners if they reveal what has happened to them, also maybe they don’t want their friends or acquaintances to recognize them
- Be very careful when extending the study to other women in the refuge, though the woman who are very familiar with the student has made herself very clear about her willingness to see the research published, it may not be the case for another survivor. While those women share the identity of domestic abuse survivors, each of them has their own different backgrounds and circumstances, maybe some of them don’t want to be interviewed, not to mention being involved in a published research article
- Pay close attention to the participants’ physical and mental health during the whole research process, since they are very vulnerable and has just survived domestic violence, the student must bear in mind that they are injured both internally and externally, and cannot be treated like normal people. The researcher should give them extra care and consolation, as well as keeping an eye on their emotions, especially when the interview has gone into some sensitive and in-depth topics (like recalling the scene of violence)
- Avoid and beware of the influence of religious factors, given that Pakistani people are Muslims, and Islam has many strict taboos about marital life and family issue, the researcher and the domestic violence survivors could suffer from religious pressure and even attacks by radical Muslims, so it’s essential to secure the safety of both parties and apply for extra guard from the refuge or other NGO when necessary
- Ensure that the study is always conducted under the supervision of the Anthropology Ethics committee, and request for additional permissions when faced with uncertain or high-risk issues. Therefore the study can follow guidance from a more professional and authoritative source