Service User Involvement in Research: Panacea or Pretence

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Service User Involvement in Research Panacea or
Pretence

• Dr Hugh McLaughlin
• University of Salford
• h.mclaughlin_at_salford.ac.uk

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Levels of Involvement

• Tokenism
• Consultation
• Collaboration
• Service User Controlled

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Benefits for the young co-researcher

• Self esteem, confidence
• Employability
• Citizenship
• Valuing of work
• Remuneration
• Ownership

4
Benefits for the adult researcher

• Better understanding
• Access to young peoples views and priorities
• Energy, contagious
• Synergy
• Fun

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Benefits to the Research

• Identify questions overlooked, prioritizing
• Access to language and understanding
• User-friendliness of tools
• Range and quality of data enhanced
• YP raise issues with other young people they
  would not raise with an adult
• Presentation of results

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Costs to the co-researchers

• Opportunity time
• Training
• Exploitation
• Stereotypes

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Costs to the adult researcher

• Time
• Recruitment
• Resources
• Writing up
• Energy
• Opportunity costs
• Ethics committees

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Costs to the research

• Time
• Training
• Support
• Legal demands
• Remuneration
• Expect the unexpected

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Research Tasks

• Research application
• Research design
• Interviewing/Questionnaires
• Analysis
• Writing up
• Publicising

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Contradictions

• Service User to researcher
• Methodologies knowledge construction
• Nothing about us without us
• Othering
• Non-service users
• Outcomes and processes

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Useful Publications

• Fraser, S. Lewis, V. Ding, S. Kellet, M. and
  Robinson, C. (eds.) (2004) Doing Research with
  Children and Young People, London Sage
• Kirby, P. (2004) A Guide to Involving Young
  People as Researchers, Eastleigh Involve ,
  www.invo.org.uk
• Lewis, A. and Lindsay, G. (eds.) (2000)
  Researching Childrens Perspectives, Buckingham
  Open University Press
• McLaughlin, H (2006) Understanding Social Work
  Research, London Sage,
• McLaughlin, H. (forthcoming) Involving Young
  Service Users as Co-researchers Possibilities,
  benefits and costs, British Journal of Social
  Work.
• McLaughlin, H. (2005) Young service users as
  co-researchers methodological problems and
  possibilities Qualitative Social Work, 4 (2)
  211-228.
• McLaughlin, H. et al. (2004) Willing
  Participants, Community Care, 17-23rd March,
  p36-7
• Smith, R. Monaghan, M. and Broad, B. (2002)
  Involving Young People as Co-Researchers,
  Qualitative Social Work, 1 (2) 191-207