Living with Experience in the Academy: Pressures to Disclose in Routine Research Activities

Abstract

ABSTRACT Lived-experience perspectives have gained increasing traction in social work research, presenting valuable opportunities for novel insights to inform policy, practice, and research. Yet these developments have perhaps outpaced our capacity as producers and consumers of research to consider their broader ethical implications for social work researchers with lived experience (particularly those with undisclosed experiences). Through a series of critical incident analyses, this article highlights ethical dilemmas researchers may face concerning disclosure of their lived experience, and how application of trauma-informed and ethical principles may assist in responding to these dilemmas. IMPLICATIONS Social work researchers may face increased pressures to disclose their lived experience in the course of typical research activities. Trauma-informed and ethical research principles can be drawn upon to navigate these dilemmas. Academic and research institutions and bodies should consider the impact on researchers of processes which impel disclosure of lived experience.