Surveying Best Practices for Undergraduate Student Researcher Safety in the Social Sciences

Students in the social sciences are increasingly engaged in research on sensitive topics; however, little is known about the protection they receive from risks that can arise from conducting this type of research. For example, students may experience vicarious trauma from analyzing sensitive data or face harassment from people who disagree with their topic. Faculty and administrators were surveyed to examine perceptions of the use, efficacy, and importance of safety practices. Items included policies regarding working alone or at night, as well as mentors discussing counseling resources with students. Overall, it is hoped that the findings raise awareness of potential risks to student researchers and encourage faculty research mentors and institutions to adopt more proactive prevention measures as a key part of ethical research involving undergraduate students.