Learnings from Applying Trauma-Informed Principles to the Research Process

Key Insights

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  Trauma is stored in the body as sensations, pain, numbness, or dissociation, making it essential to consider physical as well as psychological impacts in research.

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  Research language can retraumatize participants; forcing binary gender choices in surveys excludes and harms non-binary and culturally diverse identities.

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  Safety and choice are foundational trauma-informed principles that require rethinking question formats and allowing participants to skip sensitive questions.

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  Participants are often over-researched, causing psychological harm; researchers must critically assess whether their research is necessary or redundant.

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  Participatory research methods empower communities by leveraging insider trust and allowing participants to control how stories are told and shared.

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  Consent forms often prioritize organizational legal protection over participant understanding and true consent.

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  Trauma affects researchers differently based on identity and positionality; organizations must create supports recognizing intersectional burdens.

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  Self-care is not enough; trauma-informed organizations require systemic changes to work environments, power structures, and policies.

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  Performative supports like mental health days or therapy stipends without removing bureaucratic barriers fall short of trauma-informed care.

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  Effective trauma-informed research integrates pre-, during-, and post-research practices including warm handoffs and clear resource connections.

Notable Quotes