Research in the information age and the risks of researcher vicarious trauma

Abstract

Exposure to traumatic material during research may traumatize scholars, contributing to negative health outcomes and curtailing research work. This article argues the social sciences have been slow to address the challenges engagement with potentially traumatizing material pose to researchers. The article reviews key literature on vicarious or secondary trauma and outlines how it might affect scholars. It considers examples from the professions, and scholarly fields including the technology industry, international development, countering violent extremism studies, and genocide studies which have already begun to grapple with these challenges. A case study focused on Myanmar-focused social sciences research outlines how recent improvements in mobile phone camera technology, Internet availability, and international linkages enabled by social media increase researchers’ exposure to potentially traumatizing material. A description of Researcher Vicarious Trauma is proposed and suggestions for how scholars, institutions, and professional associations might positively tackle the contemporary challenges of Researcher Vicarious Trauma are made.