Lessons from a Canada-China cross-national qualitative suicide research collaboration

ABSTRACT

A cross-national qualitative suicide study was conducted by Tsinghua University and the University of Toronto with two samples of Chinese women in Beijing and Toronto. The aim of this article is to reflect on lessons learned from this collaborative study. A literature review guided the analysis. A focus group was conducted with members of both research teams. A semi-structured interview guide was developed to explore the researchers’ experiences of participating in the cross-national study. Focus group transcript data and observations from authors informed the analysis, situated in the existing literature on cross-national qualitative health research and guided by Baistow’s cross-national research frame. Our study highlights how cross-national research involves conceptual and practical challenges that require negotiation. Such research also holds many opportunities, including (1) using a different cultural lens to understand differences and clarify similarities cross-culturally; (2) co-constructing knowledge through collaboration; (3) deconstructing one’s own assumptions; and (4) engaging in an inspiring and empowering experience in collaboration.

KEYWORDS:

• cross-national
• suicide
• qualitative
• Chinese
• Canadian

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Natural Science Foundation of China (CCI-109616) – $84 096 in Canada and 538 000 RMB in China over two years (with two extensions). The funding sources had no role in the writing of the manuscript or the decision to submit for publication.