The Practice Guide

When considering participative research, the first question we must ask is WHY? 

Is the research important for what you do? Could it help answer your questions? How do you decide why to conduct research and what to study? What do you believe should be investigated? Is it crucial to include the (potential) service users' perspectives and research engagement in the study? Does the added value of incorporating service users as partners in the research outweigh the demands and challenges it brings?

During the development of our project, we engaged in multiple discussions about the barriers and obstacles to service users' participation in research. Overcoming these obstacles paves the way for change and interventions that more deliberately and effectively promote service user empowerment. An inspiration that may come from service users and/or practitioners can provide greater (academic) depth to research topics, such as identifying new aspects of a research question and determining how to address them. Adopting participatory approaches and fostering collaboration can also improve political and ethical accountability, reducing the likelihood that research projects are driven by academic self-interest. 

	In some countries, participation and co-production are a condition of research funding. However, these formal framework conditions need to be related to core principles of social work rather than being applied 'mechanically'.
Participative approaches can lead to greater efficiency and longer-term impact of intended changes. The efficiency criteria should be defined within the participatory framework rather than from the outset.
A positive 'pedagogical' effect can arise when non-academic participants learn to gain deeper insights into the background of issues, develop research skills, and independently manage teaching and learning environments.
Engagement with service users can provide greater academic 'depth' to research topics, such as identifying new aspects and dimensions of the original research question and how it can be answered.
Participatory approaches require greater legal and ethical accountability and act as a safeguard against challenges of manipulation of data or self-interest in research projects. These approaches contribute to more responsible and ethical research processes by emphasizing collaboration and inclusivity.

A fundamental question is: Why and how could service users be supported to become the driving force or/and full partners in the research process, rather than being those who answer the questions or are being 'observed'? 

Establishing good relations and credibility as researchers and building trust with potential participants is a precondition for meaningful, authentic research. Bringing service users, service providers, and community representatives together in one research project might create additional challenges and requires a lot of preparatory work and facilitation skills. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the added value of the participative research study.

The possibilities and limitations of service users (and other participants) as research partners need to be clearly articulated for each project. It is essential to maintain constant vigilance regarding the reasons and circumstances for proposing involvement in research, as well as when resistance or failure occurs.

Questions to be considered in joint research:

Is it useful to build collaborative networks before submitting a specific application for research funding? What opportunities exist for service users or practitioners to approach researchers, or for academics to connect with them? How representative can any group of service users be? On what terms are research project participants being selected? How flexible are funding conditions regarding potential modifications resulting from collaborative development of research objectives? What arrangements are in place for steering the research project in a participatory manner and in sharing information? Is the participation of service users formalised with contracts? Are they compensated? Are terms and scope of the project expressed in accessible language? Are service users recognised as co-authors of academic publications and holders of intellectual property rights? Are the research findings disseminated to key stakeholders and the public in a way that promotes positive changes?

Figure 4: Research guiding questions.

Here is an example of participative research using the RPP scheme: link to the Ghent example.