Preparing Interviewers and Research Participants for a Safe Interview

Planning and implementing safety protocols increases the likelihood of having a safe and positive research experience for both the research team and the participants. It is important to tailor protocols to the population, topic and methods of your study. Our research unit works with many hard-to-reach populations including those that are experiencing homelessness, housing instability, mental health issues and substance abuse. It is often necessary for us to interview participants in their homes and other locations in the community. As a result, we have created safety protocols that we adapt and strengthen based on study population and topic. This edition of Methodology Bits outlines how safety measures can be incorporated into your research study protocol. We draw from our experience of survey data collection with an emphasis on in-person interviewing.