Research and design
Auto Light Dark
Research and design
Auto Light Dark
Breadcrumbs

Trauma-informed research practices

Last Updated: October 7, 2026

This page provides additional guidance if your research study involves sensitive topics that may be distressing or difficult for a Veteran to engage with. Refer to the Research checklist for the overall steps to complete your study.

Add to your research plan

  • Write a disclaimer for any sensitive content in the study.
    If your study involves sensitive content, write a short disclaimer disclosing that to potential participants for Perigean’s recruitment email. This can be added in the Recruitment section of the research plan to clearly inform participants of any sensitive topics that may come up in the research session.

  • Example: This study includes questions about PTSD and alcohol consumption that may be sensitive for some participants.

  • Add a screener question that informs potential participants about the sensitive topic.

  • This question should state the sensitive topic and ask whether the participant is comfortable participating.

    • If the topic is an unavoidable aspect of the study, only participants who agree to this question should be recruited.

    • Otherwise, the participants will be informed about the topic being discussed and have a chance to opt out if they don't want to talk about it.

  • Example: This study is focused on the use of health questionnaires, however, you will see questions about alcohol-use and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). You will not need to answer any questions about these topics from your personal experience. We are not reaching out to you because we know anything about you, but rather are interested in hearing from a broad audience. Are you interested in participating in this research?

    • Qualifying response: Yes

    • Disqualifying response: No

Add to your conversation guide

  • Modify the conversation guide template to acknowledge the sensitive content.
    Get confirmation from the participant at the beginning of the research session (before any observers join) that they’re OK continuing with the sensitive content.

  • Example from a conversation guide about reporting harassment: For this feedback session, we're here because VA is working to stop harassment and make our locations and services safer for everyone. We define harassment as any unwelcome behavior that intimidates, offends, or creates a hostile space. As part of these efforts, our team is exploring how to make it easier for Veterans to report harassment at VA. Your input could help us make the resources easier to use by Veterans like you. You'll try them out while thinking about a hypothetical harassment situation, not your own experiences. Are you comfortable trying out resources for reporting harassment and sharing your opinions about them?

  • Frame the scenario in a way that allows the participant to imagine themselves as another person. This should be done before introducing any content that may be sensitive. Offer an alternative persona the participant can use to answer questions. The intent of framing the conversation this way is to provide the participant a way to think about and answer the questions as someone other than themselves personally–in case that might be too painful or private. The scenario presented to the participant should be within the realm of what they’re able to answer while not making it difficult. Participants should be allowed to ignore the framing if they don’t think it’s necessary for them.

  • Example from the intro in a conversation guide with a questionnaire to fill out: When interacting with these questions, feel free to imagine yourself as another Veteran who has received this questionnaire before their upcoming visit.

  • Example from a warm-up question in the conversation guide about reporting harassment: I'd like you to imagine that you or a friend went to a VA medical clinic today for a doctor's appointment, and…What do you think you or your friend would do?

  • Don’t ask participants about their own experiences until the end of the session, after letting them know that sharing is optional.
  • Give empathy to participants when they share something difficult.

  • Reiterate that participants can pause the session at any time if needed. If you sense that a participant may need a break, ask them in the moment if they need a break. Example wording:

    • Are you OK continuing with the session? We can take a break if you want to.

    • I realize this is hard. Would you like to take a break or stop?

  • Plan for longer breaks between sessions (e.g., 1-2 hours) so there’s ample time to decompress and debrief with team members to share observations. Consider sharing session moderation duties with another researcher. 

  • If you’re not sure how much debriefing/decompressing you’ll need between sessions, consider asking Perigean to recruit participants in two batches: Perigean schedules half of the participants, you conduct those research sessions, and then Perigean schedules the second half of the participants with potential adjustments to the time between sessions. You will need to allow additional time for Perigean to complete the second round of recruitment. You should schedule a kick-off call with Perigean to align on this additional scheduling.

  • Limit the number of observers in the session to one team member (plus moderator, social worker, and notetaker = 4 people maximum in the Zoom room with the participant).
  • Request a content review of all Veteran-facing language in research plan and conversation guide for any language that might cause unintended pain or trauma for some Veterans. Reach out to Danielle Thierry in the #content-ia-centralized-team channel in Slack. She can help get you connected to a member of her team.

Request additional support

  • Consider if you would like to have support from a VA social worker in the session.
    There is currently no formal process or compensation for VA social workers to support our research sessions. This is done on a completely voluntary basis. If you think it would be helpful to have their assistance:

  • Prepare the details of your study and the level of involvement you are looking for.

  • Contact Martha Wilkes with your research plan, conversation guide, and a brief proposal of the type of support you would like to have in your sessions.

  • After her review and any additional discussion of the approach, if she approves of the planned support, she can connect you with a lead who may be able to broadly message VA social workers.

  • Prepare a summary of the study to share with this lead that can be passed along to potential volunteers. This should include the level of time commitment, the content of the study, what to expect the day of, and an acknowledgement that this is strictly on a voluntary basis.

    • If approved: Move forward with recruitment with Perigean. Make sure to include in your research plan a disclaimer for recruiting and a screener question that informs potential participants about the sensitive topic.

    • After sessions have been scheduled, create a separate sign-up sheet for volunteers to sign up for sessions. They should also be invited to the calendar event.

    • Modify your conversation guide to inform the participant that a VA social worker will be joining the call to support them if needed. This should be said before observers are invited to join the call.

  • Be ready with exit strategies ahead of time.

  • Draft a protocol for recognizing and handling any trauma-triggering with specific words to say to the participant (see example from the harassment reporting study).

  • Remember to prioritize the participant over the research.

    • As stated in the guidance: “Be prepared to pivot from your conversation guide and approach in order to meet your participant where they are.”