Uploaded May 2021 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Harris, R. L., & Mertens, D. M. (2021). "Research methods with deaf people in the justice system." In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 40-60). Gallaudet University Press. https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
[Please note: There is no audio narration with this video.]
Transcript:
Chapter 3. Research Methods with Deaf People in the Justice System
Raychelle L. Harris and Donna M. Mertens
Raychelle Harris, Ph.D., was a professor in the Department of ASL & Deaf Studies
at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. Dr. Harris has presented and published on topics related to research ethics and the cultural and linguistic aspects of teaching, interpreting, and researching with Deaf communities.
Donna M. Mertens, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus from Gallaudet University. Dr. Mertens’ main focus is on research methodology and social transformation; She has done an evaluation of a court access project for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Drs. Harris and Mertens explore the world of research with deaf people in the criminal justice system and give readers examples of how research with small populations can be done. Individuals who do research regarding deaf people within the criminal justice system will find this chapter beneficial in designing their research methods. This chapter is also relevant for researchers focusing on deaf people who are victims of crimes. While the processing of physical evidence is not different depending on the accused person’s hearing status, a multitude of linguistic and cultural issues arise when the person who is in contact with the criminal justice system is deaf. Those issues are relevant when considering doing research with deaf people and their experiences within this kind of setting.
One challenge for researchers in the deaf field is the small number of people in this group. This problem is magnified even further because most departments of corrections do not maintain a database of deaf prisoners. By using a Transformative Paradigm, and culturally appropriate ethical research guidelines that include the community during the research process, Harris and Mertens explore key principles to ethically conduct research with Sign Language Communities (SLC) and provide recommendations for conducting research on deaf persons within the criminal justice system.
Harris, R. L., & Mertens, D. M. (2021). "Research methods with deaf people in the justice system." In D. Guthmann, G. I. Lomas, D. Goff Paris, & G. A. Martin (Eds.), DEAF PEOPLE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM (pp. 40-60). Gallaudet University Press. https://gupress.gallaudet.edu/Books/D/Deaf-People-in-the-Criminal-Justice-System
This video may not be repurposed or incorporated into other works in any way without the express written consent of the signer and the chapter author.
[Please note: There is no audio narration with this video.]
Transcript:
Chapter 3. Research Methods with Deaf People in the Justice System
Raychelle L. Harris and Donna M. Mertens
Raychelle Harris, Ph.D., was a professor in the Department of ASL & Deaf Studies
at Gallaudet University, Washington, DC. Dr. Harris has presented and published on topics related to research ethics and the cultural and linguistic aspects of teaching, interpreting, and researching with Deaf communities.
Donna M. Mertens, Ph.D., is a professor emeritus from Gallaudet University. Dr. Mertens’ main focus is on research methodology and social transformation; She has done an evaluation of a court access project for deaf and hard of hearing people.
Drs. Harris and Mertens explore the world of research with deaf people in the criminal justice system and give readers examples of how research with small populations can be done. Individuals who do research regarding deaf people within the criminal justice system will find this chapter beneficial in designing their research methods. This chapter is also relevant for researchers focusing on deaf people who are victims of crimes. While the processing of physical evidence is not different depending on the accused person’s hearing status, a multitude of linguistic and cultural issues arise when the person who is in contact with the criminal justice system is deaf. Those issues are relevant when considering doing research with deaf people and their experiences within this kind of setting.
One challenge for researchers in the deaf field is the small number of people in this group. This problem is magnified even further because most departments of corrections do not maintain a database of deaf prisoners. By using a Transformative Paradigm, and culturally appropriate ethical research guidelines that include the community during the research process, Harris and Mertens explore key principles to ethically conduct research with Sign Language Communities (SLC) and provide recommendations for conducting research on deaf persons within the criminal justice system.
