Principal Investigator: Lesley-Ann Gunton Lesley-ann.gunton@northumbria.ac.uk

The aim of this research is to explore the experiences vital key workers in the COVID-19 crisis who have previously been classified as ‘low skilled’ workers, for example retail workers in grocery stores, carers, delivery drivers, and cleaners.   To elicit rich narratives the primary data collection method employed will be semi-structured interviews, completed via video-call or telephone to adhere to social distancing rules. 

Whilst the interview questions will be kept open and focus on the experiences of the participants the analysis will employ Self-Determination Theory, specifically the satisfaction and frustration of basic needs, as a theoretical lens to interpret the results.  This is an approach that the Principal Investigator has used previously.

It is anticipated that the majority of the participants will be from the UK as this is the Principal Investigator’s location, however if there are researchers based in other countries it would be great to collaborate and provide an international perspective. 

Ethical approval is being sought and then the data collection will commence, however given the nature of the method and the pressures faced by the participant pool it is anticipated that data collection will continue for some time.