This presentation accompanies the paper published in the proceedings of CHI 2017 - Extended Abstracts (http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3052764). In the presentation, I want to guide you through a process of designing your own strategy for supporting the emotional labour you do when doing research.

1. Twitter: @mariawolters, @drpetra
The Emotional Work
of eHealth Research
Maria Wolters, Edinburgh
Zawadhafsa Mkulo, Tanzania
Petra Boynton, East Sussex
Many thanks to the reviewers and to our Good Shepherd, Jenna Burrell
Paper: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3052764
Zawadhafsa Petra

2. Instead of reciting the paper,
I want us to think about
the emotional labour we do
and how we can cope

3. Learning from Other Disciplines
❖ Theory and concepts for what is happening to us and
our participants
❖ Concrete strategies that help us cope
❖ Papers that tell us we’re not alone

4. Emotional Labour
❖ suppress and evoke emotion
❖ in ourselves and others
When did you perform emotional labour during your
research? Think about it, our talk to your neighbour (1
minute)
concept from feminist sociology (Hochschild)

5. Everyone involved in the research process
may be asked to perform emotional work,
especially students,
junior staff, and support staff,
who are at the bottom of the pecking order.

6. Designing Your Own Support Process
❖ Kindness and acceptance
❖ A good team
❖ A reflective practice

7. Kindness and Acceptance
It’s OK to feel,
and it’s OK to protect yourself.
What does this mean to you? Write it down for yourself,
tweet it out to the world, talk about it. (1 minute)

8. The Team
It’s OK to ask for help.
Who can you ask? Write it down for yourself / talk to
your neighbour (1 min)

9. Reflective Practice
It’s OK to suck at this - you live and learn.
Reflective practice helps you to ask what worked, what
didn’t work, and it’s part of good research practice to do
this. How do you keep notes / reflect? (1 minute)

10. Let’s Keep the Discussion Going!
Kindness / Teamwork / Reflective Practice
What works for you?
And tell your colleagues and students!
My coordinates: @mariawolters / maria.wolters@ed.ac.uk
School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh
The paper: http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3052764