"Go with the Flo": Conducting rapid research on prenatal stress following Hurricane Florence as participant observers

Michaela Howells; Kelsey Dancause

doi:10.3389/fsoc.2022.957127

"Go with the Flo": Conducting rapid research on prenatal stress following Hurricane Florence as participant observers

Front Sociol. 2022 Nov 24:7:957127. doi: 10.3389/fsoc.2022.957127. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Michaela Howells¹, Kelsey Dancause²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Anthropology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, United States.
² Exercise Science, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.

Abstract

In this article, we explore the challenges of conceptualizing, designing, and establishing a rapid research agenda as a local researcher following a disaster. We share what we learned while developing and implementing this rapid study and explore the challenges shaped by time pressures, our local context, and resource availability. We identify four core challenges, experienced conducting rapid research, and provide suggestions to overcome these challenges. Our goal is to provide insight to undergraduates, graduate students, and professionals who are considering rapid research inside or outside their own communities.

Keywords: Hurricane Florence; extreme weather; natural disaster; participant observation; pregnancy; rapid research; stress.