Key principles of trauma-informed research practice

In this step, we will explore some of the key principles of trauma-informed user research in detail.

Safeguarding

In step 2.5, we learned about general safeguarding principles that user researchers should always adhere to.

Safeguarding is never optional – you should have clear safeguarding strategies in place to protect yourself and your participants, including knowing how to escalate concerns if you suspect that someone is at risk of harm.

While safeguarding is always essential, it becomes critical when conducting user research on difficult topics or with participants who have experienced trauma. You should always be prepared to pause or stop a session completely if a participant becomes distressed.

Your user research is important, but the safety and wellbeing of your participants is more important.

Prepare thoroughly before user research sessions

It is important that you and any observers go into user research sessions prepared. This applies to all user research, but it is especially vital when sessions may involve sensitive or distressing topics. Thorough preparation helps sessions run smoothly and reduces the risk of causing harm.

Some government departments may provide checklists to guide preparation, and you might also have access to subject matter experts (SMEs), such as legal or clinical advisors, who can help you think through risks and mitigation strategies.

Doing your own research into the topics that you will be discussing and understanding your participants (their background, why they have been selected for this user research, and so on) will help you to prepare.

A lack of preparation increases the risk of making mistakes. Even with the right intentions, it is easy to accidentally say or do something that causes harm or discomfort. If you do say something upsetting during a session, apologise, and check in with your participant to make sure they feel comfortable continuing.

When preparing for a session, you may also realise that you are not comfortable with the topics that will be discussed. If this happens, speak to your manager or your user research colleagues. You should never be expected to take part in a session that feels unsafe or inappropriate to you.

Sensitive questioning

As a user researcher, your role is to find out information. In user research sessions such as interviews or focus groups, this involves asking questions and listening carefully to the responses.

You should always speak gently and ask open-ended questions that allow the participant to choose the level of detail they wish to provide to you. This helps them stay in control and feel safe.

If they feel pressured to share more than they are comfortable with, it can damage trust, and make the session feel unsafe.

Knowing when and how to ask follow-up questions is a skill that develops over time, but even experienced user researchers should err on the side of caution. It is better to leave the session with less detail than you hoped for than to leave a participant feeling upset or distressed.

You should never ask for graphic details of traumatic experiences or push someone to continue speaking when it is clear they do not want to. Graphic detail is rarely relevant to your user research aims, and could cause serious emotional harm.

Listening is just as important as asking. Pay close attention to what the participant says and how they say it. Observe their body language and tone. This will help you judge whether it is appropriate to ask a follow-up question, or whether to pause, check in, or move on.

Physically demonstrating active listening – through eye contact, nodding, and open body language – can help participants feel heard and valued, especially when they are sharing something that might be emotionally triggering for them.

Remain neutral – you are not there to judge

As a user researcher, you must always remain neutral and avoid letting your personal feelings, opinions, or biases influence the way you interact with participants. This is another skill that is developed through experience, but it is important that you are aware of it from the beginning of your career.

You may speak to people who have very different lifestyles and have made different life choices to you. Regardless of your personal views, you must treat every participant with respect and professionalism.

Participants are trusting you with personal, sensitive, or sometimes painful information. If they feel judged or disliked, they may feel unsafe and unsupported.

This includes your non-verbal communication. Participants may pick up on subtle cues – facial expressions, posture, and tone – that suggest disagreement, discomfort, or disapproval. You should be mindful of how you present yourself physically during sessions, and take care not to unintentionally signal judgement through your body language. Maintaining open, calm, and attentive non-verbal behaviour helps to create a safe and respectful environment.

There is an important distinction to make here: not judging someone is not the same as tolerating inappropriate behaviour. Abuse, harassment, or discrimination have no place in user research sessions, and safeguards should always be in place to prevent this from occurring, or to take necessary steps if it does.

Robust safeguarding procedures also mean you should never be in a situation where you do not feel safe, regardless of your personal views about the participant.

Support planning

Having a list of relevant support services, charities, or helplines to share with participants is good practice in all user research, but it is especially important when dealing with difficult or distressing topics.

You should provide this information to all of your participants, not just those who appear upset. You can never be sure what someone’s true feelings are and a participant could be in need of this support, even if they do not tell you explicitly. As we mentioned in the previous step, providing support to all participants as standard also ensures that no one feels singled out.

Managing your own emotions

It is vital to protect your own wellbeing during user research, especially when it involves difficult, distressing, or traumatic topics.

Make sure you have a support network in place and opportunities to reflect on and discuss user research sessions. This will help you process your emotions and maintain your own mental health.

In our introductory user research course, we learned about compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma. These are real risks for user researchers, and can affect your mental and physical health, and your ability to work effectively.

Your wellbeing is equally as important as your participants’. If you feel distressed, overwhelmed, exhausted, or approaching burnout, you should engage with your support network, and do not put yourself into situations that may cause you further emotional or psychological harm.