Brief report: Challenges of conducting research within the funeral services sector in South Africa

AbstractFuneral services sector personnel are at risk of contracting infectious diseases and have poor adherence to universal safety precautions. More work needs to be done to understand this industry; however, there is limited information on conducting research within this sector. This manuscript draws on experiences and observations of funeral services study describing lessons learned in the field, particularly emphasizing attempts to engage funeral homes in research and the impact of this work on the research team. Factors to be considered before researching in this sector: obtaining approvals, identification as researchers, and in-house emotional support for the research team.