An exploration of the possibility for secondary traumatic stress among transcriptionists: a grounded theory approach

While there is a small, growing literature considering the psychological safety of researchers, little attention has been paid in the qualitative literature to the wellbeing of transcriptionists. Transcriptionists play an integral and essential role in qualitative research but are often overlooked in terms of the emotional impact of the work. Using grounded theory methodology, transcriptionists were interviewed to ascertain their experiences of their role. Findings indicated that transcriptionists experienced emotional distress and feelings of helplessness. Analysis of the data demonstrated that transcriptionists did have some coping strategies, but also expressed an additional need to discuss their feelings. Furthermore analysis revealed that the lack of safeguarding protocols for the profession made the role even more challenging. The emergent core category identified was that there was a risk of secondary traumatic stress for transcriptionists. Recommendations were made for additional safeguarding of transcriptionists through the introduction of a research team approach.