Section 6: This section will teach novice researchers:

1. How to build positive relationships with research participants.
2. Ethical issues involving research participants and ways to ensure confidentiality and anonymity.
3. How to develop an informed consent form and to present needed information to an Institutional Review Board.
4. How to develop a sampling plan for the selection of research participants in qualitative and quantitative research.
5. Learn the valuable role that community members can play in sampling when conducting community-based participatory research (CBPR).

Example of what you will find in this section:

Ways of establishing rapport

There are a number of ways that rapport is established with research participants. Some of these follow.

• Show interest in what people are saying. Do not “pretend” to be interested. If a member of the team has limited interest in the information, this individual is not appropriate for the study. Show interest by making enthusiastic statements such as “really?” or “how interesting.” However, do not add statements of interest that might reveal interviewer bias and influence the research participants. The researcher must avoid statements such as “I agree” or “you are probably right.”
• As previously mentioned, allow a little time for visiting before an observation or interview session. Make small talk about the weather or the participant’s surroundings or any other lively but neutral topics that seem appropriate. And do not rush through the interview. If one gives research participants the impression that one is hoping their responses are short—well, they will be. And the implementation team will not get the needed data.
• Maintain humility. Never think the research participants need to be impressed by the team’s research knowledge. Remove all possible status differentials, particularly when studying vulnerable populations such as homeless infected with STDs. Avoid using “researchy” terms. Identify ahead of time common “small talk” topics that can be discussed, such as experiences dealing with bureaucracies or childhood memories. The more the researcher seems like the person being studied, the more trust will grow.
• Make sure the team has pre-researched the research topic. Nothing can convince study participants of the researcher’s good intentions more than evidence that something is known about their world.