Balancing Rapport and Boundaries in Research with Marginalized Communities

Qualitative researchers are enjoined to establish rapport and build trust with research participants in order to secure meaningful and valuable data. Thick description is a cherished concept and aspirational practice in qualitative research. And while it enables researchers to provide rich accounts of the social realities studied, it also conceals the challenges involved in establishing relationships as well as boundaries in research settings, especially when it comes to studying marginalized groups, as well as sensitive topics. This presentation relies on insights from research with asylum seekers and migrant sex workers in Hong Kong to reflect on the challenges involved in the research process with marginalized communities. Rather than a “how to” of working with marginalized communities, this presentation aims to highlight some of the potential problems encountered by early career researchers in the field, including power imbalances, finding a balance between establishing effective rapport, building trust in an effort to secure access but also setting and following boundaries between researcher and research participants. It includes reflections on straddling the line between defining boundaries and acceptable line-crossing when documenting practices on the limits of or outside legality. Finally, the guide also engages with the ambiguities of exiting the field and the ethical considerations and responsibilities of researchers around staying in touch with research participants and severing contact at the end of a research project.