Research is personal, always: Practical strategies for relational care

Abstract

In this article, four authors build on personal experiences to share how we transformed discomfort in research into practical tools. We are social scientists and creative scholars who bring sensory knowledge and vulnerabilities to our work while forging dynamic personal connections. Drawing on Indigenous, feminist, and disability justice scholarship, we present three instruments for prioritizing personally impactful and relational research. Instrument One describes a visual model for use in transdisciplinary teams on the integration of lived experience into research designs, distinguishing between expertise and bias. Instrument Two identifies shifts in interview engagement and flow to increase depth and connection. Instrument Three contains ideas for creating care among differently positioned researchers, with hopefulness of enhancing mutual support. In writing this article, we connect with you, the reader, in the knowledge that our research is personal, always.