Call for papers: Researching Sensitive Topics Colloquium

Online Event

Researching Sensitive Topics Colloquium

Monday 13th October 2025

Hosted by the Open University Law PGR students Gabriel Omachi and Georgia Boyd

About this event

Techniques, methodologies and theory surrounding researching sensitive topics have become a crucial conversation for researchers in the modern age. Often the participants may be from marginalised groups who are underrepresented within society; special care must be taken to ensure their interests are protected within the research, whilst co-producing new knowledge and scholarship. Researcher wellbeing is increasingly recognised as a concern when research is undertaken on sensitive or traumatic topics, including those relating to the researcher’s lived experience. Ensuring both the participants and researchers are safe and acting ethically within the study is paramount. This colloquium aims to bring together a collective of researchers interested in researching sensitive topics to share best practice, experiences and understanding of what it means to ‘research sensitive topics.’ We hope this day allows researchers to collaborate and form networking connections with each other, whilst learning something new or presenting ideas about conducting sensitive research.

This colloquium is being organised by Georgia Boyd and Gabriel Omachi, both third year students in the Open University Law School. We have a shared interest in researching sensitive topics and would like to build a community of like-minded researchers. This colloquium is open to PGR students, ECRs and established academics as well as researchers in the voluntary sector and community organisations.

Papers are invited from a range of disciplinary perspectives, on themes including but not limited to: