Transformative Qualitative Research With Marginalised/Stigmatised Groups

Qualitative research can offer participants a rare opportunity to openly discuss their marginalised and/or stigmatised identities. In doing so, they may engage with the emotional complexities of identity and begin to reframe how they view themselves. Participation in qualitative research, therefore, holds the potential to be transformative; shaping how marginalised and/or stigmatised individuals perceive and accept their identities. Realising this potential, however, requires careful and intentional research design. While previous scholarship has outlined approaches for making research more inclusive, this research note advances the concept of transformative research practice. We draw on our own experiences as researchers to argue that qualitative research should not only seek to include but also to empower participants. Specifically, we propose four guiding principles designed to ensure that research encounters provide meaningful opportunities for participants from marginalised and/or stigmatised groups to experience transformation through their engagement in the research process.