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Ethics, rigour and agility of research and evaluation methods in a changing social and clinical context: reflections from a psychosocial research centre on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ethics, rigour and agility of research and evaluation methods in a changing social and clinical context: reflections from a psychosocial research centre on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
Ethics, rigour and agility of research and evaluation methods in a changing social and clinical context: reflections from a psychosocial research centre on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic
The Centre for Psychosocial Research in Cancer conducts world-leading research and service evaluations to support well-being and quality of life amongst those affected by cancer. This paper reflects on how we adapted our research management and study methods during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implications for ongoing research practice. We use four case studies to consider the benefits and challenges of adapting to remote approaches to research and evaluation delivery: maintaining high ethical standards and data security in evaluation projects with remote approvals; recruiting for and running online discussion groups to inform intervention development; designing and delivering an in-person intervention via video conferencing; and adapting a longitudinal qualitative study to focus on newly emerging issues. We reflect on how we can maintain quality and rigour when conducting remote research and evaluation, and how this can affect our experience as researchers. We also consider possible implications of the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic for the funding and design of future research and evaluations.
Cancer, evaluations, methods, qualitative, remote, well-being
1364-5579
565-579
Morton, Kate
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Calman, Lynn
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Grimmett, Chloe
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Wright, David
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White, Helen
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Young, Julie
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Radcliffe, Eloise
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Foster, Claire
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Morton, Kate
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Calman, Lynn
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Grimmett, Chloe
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Wright, David
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White, Helen
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Young, Julie
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Radcliffe, Eloise
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Foster, Claire
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Morton, Kate, Calman, Lynn, Grimmett, Chloe, Wright, David, White, Helen, Young, Julie, Radcliffe, Eloise and Foster, Claire (2023) Ethics, rigour and agility of research and evaluation methods in a changing social and clinical context: reflections from a psychosocial research centre on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic. International Journal of Social Research Methodology, 26 (5), 565-579. (doi:10.1080/13645579.2023.2173428).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The Centre for Psychosocial Research in Cancer conducts world-leading research and service evaluations to support well-being and quality of life amongst those affected by cancer. This paper reflects on how we adapted our research management and study methods during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the implications for ongoing research practice. We use four case studies to consider the benefits and challenges of adapting to remote approaches to research and evaluation delivery: maintaining high ethical standards and data security in evaluation projects with remote approvals; recruiting for and running online discussion groups to inform intervention development; designing and delivering an in-person intervention via video conferencing; and adapting a longitudinal qualitative study to focus on newly emerging issues. We reflect on how we can maintain quality and rigour when conducting remote research and evaluation, and how this can affect our experience as researchers. We also consider possible implications of the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic for the funding and design of future research and evaluations.

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Accepted/In Press date: 17 December 2022
e-pub ahead of print date: 26 February 2023
Published date: 3 September 2023
Keywords: Cancer, evaluations, methods, qualitative, remote, well-being

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 477148
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/477148
ISSN: 1364-5579
PURE UUID: 6814f8ab-519d-410c-a4ab-6a99bf5156c2
ORCID for Kate Morton: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-6674-0314
ORCID for Lynn Calman: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9964-6017
ORCID for Chloe Grimmett: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-7540-7206
ORCID for Claire Foster: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-4703-8378

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Date deposited: 30 May 2023 16:39
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 03:28

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Contributors

Author: Kate Morton ORCID iD
Author: Lynn Calman ORCID iD
Author: Chloe Grimmett ORCID iD
Author: David Wright
Author: Helen White
Author: Julie Young
Author: Claire Foster ORCID iD

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