Negotiating the Complexities of Qualitative Research in Higher Education by Susan R. Jones Vasti Torres & Jan Arminio

Author:Susan R. Jones, Vasti Torres & Jan Arminio
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781136341656
Publisher: Routledge

Establishing Rapport and Developing Trust

The presence of rapport and trust is integral not only to securing participants for a study, but also to sustaining participation over time. In fact, the relationship between researcher and participants is one of the hallmarks of qualitative inquiry; however, this relationship can be neither presumed nor taken for granted. Establishing rapport and developing trust take time, care, and persistent attention throughout the research process. The presence of rapport suggests the development of a relationship characterized by reciprocity and mutuality. However, what makes rapport in the context of qualitative inquiry potentially problematic is that rapport is needed primarily so that the researcher can accomplish certain results. Rapport is not enough in a research relationship as it is more typically the presence of trust that facilitates a reciprocal relationship. As Glesne (2011) suggested, “… qualitative research should move in a direction in which trust is needed for working together on the issue under inquiry. Rapport, however, is often a precursor to building trust and part of gaining access and ‘fitting in’” (p. 141).

The foundation upon which rapport sits is “the ability to convey empathy and understanding without judgment” (Patton, 2002, p. 366). This suggests the importance of trust and respect in a researcher-participant relationship, which must be present in all aspects of the research process, such as initial contacts with participants, active listening during interviews, and showing appreciation for their time and expertise. Although not writing specifically about qualitative research, Noddings's (1984) foundational work on caring is particularly instructive in thinking about trust and respect in the context of the research process. Noddings suggested that when we care or are in a caring relationship with another, then we are feeling with that person:

I do not “put myself in the other's shoes,” so to speak, by analyzing his [sic] reality as objective data and then asking, “How would I feel in such a situation?” On the contrary, I set aside my temptation to analyze and to plan. I do not project; I receive the other into myself, and I see and feel with the other. (p. 30)

A researcher's ability to care, to receive the other, is the backbone of trust and respect. Such a relationship communicates to one's participants a genuine regard for them as individuals and a deep commitment to understanding their experiences. Noddings's notions about caring in relation to the research process dovetail with Patton's (2002) suggestions about the importance of both rapport and neutrality in qualitative research. He explained this helpful distinction as follows:

Rapport is a stance vis-á-vis the person being interviewed. Neutrality is a stance vis-á-vis the content of what that person says…. Rapport means that I respect the people being interviewed, so what they say is important because of who is saying it…. Neutrality means that the person being interviewed can tell me anything without engendering either my favor or disfavor with regard to the content of her or his response. I cannot be shocked; I cannot be angered; I cannot be embarrassed; I cannot be saddened.

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