New article out in Politics & Gender!

The Gender, Violence and Policy Lab is excited to announce a new publication in Politics & Gender. Everyday violence against women is increasingly popular topic in political science. However, its sensitive nature poses unique obstacles for both quantitative and qualitative researchers. This article examines the challenges researchers face when accessing vulnerable populations, specifically survivors of domestic abuse (DA) and intimate partner violence (IPV). It highlights the critical role of community partners – in this case, DA organizations – in facilitating or obstructing research efforts, the latter of which the paper terms ‘gatekeeping.’ Based on personal experiences working with DA organizations, the paper discusses three main reasons for their gatekeeping: limited resources in these organizations, their responsibility to protect survivors from further trauma, and skepticism about research, particularly data collection. It also explores potential solutions for overcoming these barriers, including using social media for recruitment and compensating organizations for their participation. However, these strategies also have limitations. Ultimately, it is important to understand the motivations behind gatekeeping to foster more effective research partnerships.