Researcher Race

Researcher Race: Social Constructions in the Research Process is designed to expose the role ofresearcher race in social science research. This book highlights the interaction of researcher andparticipant race in shaping data that is collected. Researcher Race makes the researcher’s positionvisible via interview excerpts from a qualitative study in order to deconstruct researcher raceeffects in research. The book includes passages from a qualitative research study with a sampleof 20 Black-identified and 20 White-identified participants, as well as a Black researcher and aWhite researcher. Selections of data from across different researcher-participant racial dyadsillustrate how issues of researcher race can arise in research settings.Researcher Race presents the history of racial bias and maltreatment in research. A review ofcultural competency theory as it pertains to research is discussed. An overview of narrativeresearch methodology that is used in this study is also provided. Chapters focused on theresearch data include an exploration of participants’ preferences for researcher race; the significanceof off-script researcher comments during an interview; and the narratives of traumatic racism among Black and White participants.In the concluding chapter, the book expands conversations about researcher race to consider intersecting aspects of identity inresearcher-participant interactions, as well as directions for future research and training.This book can serve as a guide for researchers, as well as students of research, culture, and diversity. Researcher Race: Social Constructionsin the Research Process is a valuable tool for researchers interested in expanding awareness of race, oppression, and methodology.