The implications for asking: An autoethnographic exploration of researching college student trauma

Abstract

Student affairs practitioners are increasingly called upon to engage in their work through the lens of trauma-informed practice. There is simultaneously a need for data that grounds this work in evidence-based strategies specific to the experiences of college student survivors of trauma. Yet, there has been limited discussion in student affairs literature about the impacts of assessment or research of college student trauma on those engaging in the inquiry. The purpose of this autoethnographic study was to investigate the implications of a qualitative exploration of college student trauma for the researcher and contributes to a broadened understanding of the possible impacts for higher education researchers and assessment professionals engaged in understanding college student trauma.