TY  - JOUR
N2  - Background: Violence against women (VAW) research is a sensitive topic, which has been conducted mainly using face-to-face methods. The COVID-19 pandemic lockdown and restrictions on movement presented an opportunity to conduct VAW research using remote methods. We discuss how we adapted methods, reflect on lessons learned, and make recommendations highlighting key considerations when conducting remote research on a sensitive topic of VAW. Methods: We designed and conducted an exploratory qualitative study using remote methods with 18 men and 19 women, aged 18 years and older, who lived with their partner or spouse during lockdown in South Africa. The aim of the study was to explore experiences of COVID-19 lockdown, and its link to women and children?s experiences of violence in the homes. Data presented in this paper draws from researchers? reflections drawn from debriefing sessions during the research process, and from participants? interview transcripts. Findings: Remote recruitment of participants took longer than anticipated, and we had to re-advertise the study. We could not ensure safety and privacy during interviews. Regardless of all the safety and privacy measures we put in place during the research process, some participants had an adult person present in the room during interviews, and the researchers had no control over interruptions. Rapport was difficult to establish without an in-person connection, which limited disclosure about violence experience (amongst women) and perpetration (amongst men). Conclusions: Given the methodological and ethical challenges which limited disclosure of VAW remotely, we conclude that telephone interviews used in our study impacted on the quality of study data. Therefore, we do not recommend VAW research to be conducted remotely, unless it is essential and participants are already known to the interviewer and trust has been established.
EP  - 9
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12889-023-17480-z
ID  - discovery10187080
Y1  - 2024/01/02/
SN  - 1471-2458
TI  - Reflections on the process, challenges, and lessons learned conducting remote qualitative research on Violence against women during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in South Africa
AV  - public
PB  - BMC
JF  - BMC Public Health
A1  - Mahlangu, Pinky
A1  - Machisa, Mercilene Tanyaradzwa
A1  - Jewkes, Rachel
A1  - Gibbs, Andrew
A1  - Shai, Nwabisa
A1  - Sikweyiya, Yandisa
KW  - Science & Technology
KW  -  Life Sciences & Biomedicine
KW  -  Public
KW  -  Environmental & Occupational Health
KW  -  COVID-19 pandemic lockdown
KW  -  Remote data collection methods
KW  -  Violence against women research
KW  -  Intimate partner violence
KW  -  Telephone interviews
KW  -  South Africa
KW  -  SOCIAL MEDIA
KW  -  FACEBOOK
VL  - 24
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ER  -