Take-aways from Unit 1

Research fatigue (also known as respondent fatigue) is a state of indifference or apathy brought on by overexposure to engaging in research, or being researched. Simply put, research fatigue is being tired of being researched. 

Three common themes have been identified as influential in either positively or negatively affecting an individual’s willingness to participate in a research project: 

(1) alignment of interest and/or mutual benefit;

(2) lack of perceived impact from past research projects; and

(3) exploitation/distrust.

Some consequences of research fatigue for researchers include difficulties in recruitment for further research work and potentially misleading research results. However, over-research in a community increases familiarity with social research protocols and can lead participants to become savvier and confident in their participation.