Shadowing as a qualitative research method for intellectual disability research: Opportunities and challenges

Abstract

Background: While qualitative research on intellectual disability is on the rise, researchers have frequently reported that their methods bring methodological and ethical challenges. The authors advance shadowing as an alternative method to respond to these concerns. Method: The authors draw on their experiences with shadowing on the basis of two separate studies respectively, involving 28 and 17 people with intellectual disabilities. Results: Four distinct advantages of shadowing are presented: it is flexible, gives unique insight in daily life experiences, can aid in giving “voice” to people with intellectual disabilities, and can aid in the pursuit of inclusive research. Three challenges of shadowing research were also identified, relating to ethical approval, privacy and role confusion. Conclusions: Shadowing is a promising method for intellectual disability research, as it allows researchers to garner data virtually inaccessible with other methods. It is particularly useful for research questions about everyday life and interpersonal relationships.