Doing research inclusively, doing research well?

Nind, Melanie and Vinha, Hilra Gondim (2012) Doing research inclusively, doing research well? Southampton, GB. University of Southampton 73pp.

Abstract

This report is a story of our research for anyone interested. The idea was to bring together people doing inclusive research to share and develop their learning. We wanted to work together on a better understanding of what it means to work together on research and to do it well. Our method was talking together in focus groups. We made audio recordings and transcriptions and looked for important themes.

We found out:
o About how people research together - approaches can be planned or responsive; they can stress giving support, negotiating practices, or trusting each other.
o Inclusive research is particularly good at developing knowledge about people’s lives.
o There are many different ways of doing research inclusively.
o Being involved in inclusive research leads to new friendships and networks, new skills and experiences, and feeling confident and valued.
o When people with learning disabilities are involved in research the questions can be more relevant, the methods more accessible, and the findings more rich. There is potential for social inclusion and social change.
o There are barriers that still need to be addressed for inclusive research to have a good future.
o Research is seen as good in terms of inclusion and good in terms of generating knowledge when it: addresses questions that require an inclusive approach; answers questions in the best way; makes use of insider knowledge of what it is like to live with learning disabilities or a label of learning disabilities; is genuine and meaningful; has impact on the lives of people with learning disabilities.

We conclude that we are still learning about inclusive research. Everyone wants it to do a lot for the people involved. It is important that we keep exploring and talking about how we go about doing research inclusively and doing it well.
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Contributors

Author: Melanie Nind

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