Participatory Research

"This handbook was formulated using existing knowledge-sharing resources, which were collected, reviewed, and summarized. (..) This book represents an attempt to bring together the diversity of information that was scattered across books, journals, and organizations into a logical, accessible resource, which will hopefully be a useful tool to those engaged in knowledge sharing. "

What real voice do people with direct experience of poverty have in research and inquiry into poverty? This study, by Fran Bennett with Moraene Roberts, gives an overview of 'participatory' approaches to research and inquiry into poverty in the UK.

"There is growing political and policy interest in evidence-based policy and practice in health and social care. Alongside this has been a greatly increased interest in extending user involvement in research, and in new research approaches that highlight more inclusive and equal research relationships. (...) Knowledge about more participatory research approaches is not widely shared; discussion of such research remains at an early stage and ideas of 'evidence' and 'empowerment' in relation to research require closer, more inclusive and systematic consideration."

"Action research is a process of deep inquiry into one's practices in service of moving towards an envisioned future aligned with values. Action Research is the systematic, reflective study of one's actions and the effects of these actions in a workplace context. As such, it involves deep inquiry into one's professional action..."

"This paper came about in response to requests to speak about some of the collective wisdom that has been generated over many decades by people who have identified what they do using the term ‘participatory action research’."