This is a repost from 2018, published by Bellingcat. These issues discussed below can also apply to academic researchers working in aspects of online content. This can include students. Recognition of these issues is important. When embarking on my own research, I hadn’t considered the implications of some of the content that I would be working with, and clearly, this can have an impact. It is still a concern for anyone working in any aspect of this zone.
Bellingcat, How to Prevent, Identify and Address Vicarious Trauma — While Conducting Open Source Investigations in the Middle East, 18 October 2023 “Content from open source investigations in the Middle East is often very graphic in nature. Knowing how to prevent secondary trauma is the first step in slowing burnout caused by vicarious trauma in the human rights field.”
