Pranee Liamputtong 
Researching the Vulnerable 
A Guide to Sensitive Research Methods

′This book is refreshing, both as an addition to the general literature and as a text that considers cultural and social issues in studies relating to improving the situation of vulnerable people…. [T]his book will be a helpful, accessible and interesting resource for novice and experienced researchers alike in a number of fields′ –
Nurse Researcher

′Pranee Liamputtong has offered a well organized, clear and accessible work in Researching the Vulnerable…this book can offer very good guidance to the postgraduate student who is willing to focus in qualitative research methods, but also to an experienced researcher who may consider testing out its procedures or eventually is attempting to put into practice innovative qualitative research procedures′ – Sociological Research Online

Researching Vunerable People takes as its starting point the particular considerations and sensitivities of being a researcher faced with a subject group at the margins of society, and explores the ethical, practical and methodological implications of working with such groups.

Pranee Liamputtong is an experienced textbook author, and in this book she attempts to explore qualitative methods using examples, drawn from around the world, from the wide variety of contexts that might count as ′researching the vulnerable′. Numerous salient points for the conduct of research within vulnerable groups of people, including ethical and moral issues, are considered, and discussed in the context of sensitive and innovative research methods.

Table of Content

The Sensitive Researcher

Introduction to Researching Vulnerable People

Moral and Ethical Issues In Researching Vulnerable People

The Vulnerable Research Participants

Procedural Sensibilities

The Sensitive and Vulnerable Researcher

Traditional Interviewing Research Methods Appropriate for Researching Vulnerable People

Flexible and Collaborative Investigative Methods

Innovative and Alternative Research Methods in Consideration

(Re)Presentation of Vulnerable Voices

Writing Research Findings

A Closing Word…For Now

About the author

Pranee is a medical anthropologist and has interests in the health of women, children, immigrants, refugees, older people, and transgender individuals. In terms of health issues, Pranee is very interested in issues relating to motherhood, reproductive health, sexuality, sexual health, mental health and chronic illnesses. Recently, Pranee has focused her research on sexuality and sexual health issues of Asian women, refugee/immigrant women, young people, and trans women of colour. She has written a number of textbooks and research articles on health-related issues. Pranee is also a qualitative researcher and has written many textbooks on this approach. Some of her textbooks (Qualitative Research Methods, Research Methods in Health and  Evidence-Based Practice, Social Determinants of Health, & Public Health) have been adopted widely, both in Australia and overseas. Previously, Pranee held the position of Professor of Public Health at Western Sydney University and Personal Chair of Public Health at La Trobe University, in Australia. She is now a Professor of Behaviour Sciences at the College of Health Sciences, Vin Univesity in Hanoi where she continues her research with marginalised groups in Vietnam and other groups in Asia.