Reflecting on Stephan Winter’s research readdressing historic abuse in Aotearoa, one question stood out to me, (or maybe it was the very appealing image of the biscuit on the slide) What biscuit to serve? When research is built around such sensitive topic, it can be difficult for the participants to speak openly about their past traumas. So what can we do as researchers to make them open up? The answer is by creating an environment where the participants feel safe, comfortable and appreciated.
Food can serve a communicative role between the researcher and the participant, because who doesn’t love food? It is also a way of showing the participants their worth and that they deserve decent quality treatments. For someone who has lived through traumas and horrible abuses, subtle queues can shape their whole experience during the research hearing process. Serving your participants with decent cup of tea and a delicious biscuit can make all the difference. The kind of biscuit and quality of the refreshments are only the metaphor for how you should treat your participants, the question also applies to factors like where the interview takes place, whether it is easy for the participants to access to etc. The Minor details are the things that determine participants’ level of engagement, and the level of the engagement determines a researcher’s data collection process. So, make your participant feel appreciated, and serve them Chocolate Hobnob.
