Keeping Service User Involvement in Research Honest Dr Hugh McLaughlin University of Salford
Levels of Involvement Tokenism Consultation Collaboration Service User Controlled Profile required
Claimed benefits for research Common language Identify questions overlooked, prioritizing User-friendliness of tools Range and quality of data enhanced YP raise issues with other young people they would not raise with an adult Self-esteem, confidence and employability Energy Presentation of results
Before the Research Begins Whose idea was it? Recruitment –same old suspects? Informing-for-consent Training Safeguarding Morally active researcher Over promising Reward and recognition
Issues During the Research Support needs of service users Confidentiality Researcher discomfort Identity- Service user co-researcher or co- researcher who is also a service user
Knowledge Claims Favours qualitative ‘No research about us without us’ Standpoint position Service user peers Same or different criteria of validity Experience plus research tools
Conclusions Inadequate attention Outcomes not just process Less rhetoric more critical analysis Neither underclaim nor overclaim Keep service user involvement in research honest
Final thoughts If we accept that differing types of Knowledge and expertise contribute to a full understanding, then no one has privilged ‘insider’ knowledge, but everyone has differing knowledge from which everybody can learn. Herein lies the nub of the issue. Nolan et al. 2007:190