Researcher Wellbeing Plan Template ©

Abstract

This is a template that researchers can use to help them think about and plan how they will care for themselves (and be cared for) whilst undertaking emotionally challenging research.

Full text

CONFIDENTIAL
Researcher Wellbeing Plan
Template ©i
Important note: No researcher should be compelled to share anything on this form, parcularly personal experience. This is a tool to help put in
place mechanisms to support researchers, not to pressure them into disclosure. We recommend that both supervisors and researcher ll out their
own forms and share them with each other, this helps to build trust in the relaonship. Nothing should be shared with a third person without the
permission of the person wring the form (unless a severe risk of harm protocol is put into acon, and even then, please try to gain permission
from the person who lled out the form). If, once you have lled out the form, you do not feel comfortable sharing all the informaon with your
supervisors/colleague then delete it before handing it in. It is also ok to decide to reconsider and share that informaon later.
Warning signs
What are the warning signs that I’m not coping
(something that I, and others, should look out for)?
This can be highly sensive. As with all secons of this form, no one should be
compelled to answer this queson or share this informaon. Only share
what/when you feel comfortable to do so.
Acvies/
services to
access
In what ways can I proacvely address these
warning signs before they escalate?
What acvies/intervenons might help me?
Is there anything my
supervisor/manager/department/instuon can do
to help?

Posive daily
roune
What is an e*ecve daily work roune for me?
Helpful
behaviour/
thoughts
What specic thoughts have been e*ecve in
previous challenging situaons, and how can I apply
them in my current research context?
Current life
context
Are there any current personal or professional
circumstances a*ecng my capacity to engage with
this research?
If not included in the above or below, if you are
disabled and/or from a marginalized group you
might outline how this may/or is currently a*ecng
you.

This can be highly sensive. As with all secons of this form, no one should be
compelled to answer this queson or share this informaon. Only share
what/when you feel comfortable to do so.
Personal
connecons
to the topic
and
parcipants
How might my personal experiences in-uence my
connecon to the research topic and its
parcipants?
You might also add into this secon anything you
know about how you respond to emoonally
challenging topics/disclosures whether you have
personal experience or not of the issue you are
researching.
This can be highly sensive. As with all secons of this form, no one should be
compelled to answer this queson or share this informaon. Only share
what/when you feel comfortable to do so.
Final
considerations
How will I, and my academic supervisor, or clinical
supervisor, monitor and regularly assess my
emoonal and mental health throughout the
research process?

i
This was compiled by the Researcher Wellbeing Project team, and is a development of
Skinner et al (forthcoming) with some of that text reprinted with permission of the original
author. As with all academic work, it is subject to copyright. You are welcome to use it. If you
do, please inform t.skinner@bath.ac.uk (if you are outside of the University of Bath) and
please cite it as Skinner, T. and Brance, K. (2024) Researcher Wellbeing Plan Template.
Researcher Wellbeing Project: University of Bath, giving a web reference.
Brance, K. and Skinner, T. (2024) Researcher Wellbeing Plan. Researcher Wellbeing
Project: University of Bath. Giving this web reference.
Skinner, T., Bloom8eld-Utting, J, Geoghegan-Fittall, S., Roberts (ne Ballantyne), N.,
Smith, O., Sweetland, S. and Taylor, H. (forthcoming, submitted 2021) A focus on
ethics and researcher wellbeing, In Forester-Jones, R. (Ed) Research Handbook on
Ethics in Social Research, Edward Elgar Publishing.)
This project was funded by the Research England Enhancing Research Culture Fund