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Critical realism in social work research: examining participation of people with intellectual disability
- Authors:
- CRAIG Diane, BIGBY Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 68(3), 2015, pp.309-323.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Critical realism has not been taken up readily within social work research and this may be due to the difficulty of the language and lack of practice examples of its applicability. This paper outlines the basic precepts of critical realism, the implications of these for methodology, and then offers a practical example of its application to social work research in the area of intellectual disability using some of the techniques of more familiar qualitative research methodologies. In response to the increased influence of poststructuralist ideas within social work along with the somewhat contradictory call for evidence-based practice, this paper suggests critical realism as a way of developing empirically based knowledge about the effects of interventions while at the same time accounting for the complexity involved in social work practice. (Publisher abstract)
Reflections on doing inclusive research in the “Making Life Good in the Community” study
- Authors:
- BIGBY Christine, FRAWLEY Patsie
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Intellectual and Developmental Disability, 35(2), June 2010, pp.53-61.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
The involvement of people with intellectual disability in research is framed as inclusive, denoting their active participation in its processes. However, questions are raised about ownership and control, genuineness of involvement, and the need for honest accounts to develop practice. This study used action research to reflect on and progressively refine the support provided by a research mentor to a co-researcher with intellectual disability employed on a large multimethod study. The co-researcher with intellectual disability was employed to be involved in the investigation of ‘homeliness’ in the ‘Making Life Good in the Community’ study. This paper describes the process of supporting the co-researcher rather than the findings of the research. The paper concludes that accepting the co-researcher's strengths and designing support on the job rather than teaching them to ‘pass’ before venturing out in the field are important in ceding control. Support required for a co-researcher is more than practical and involves developing a relationship that can actively challenge views and foster reflection. Ownership of questions and disseminating of outcomes are hampered by contextual factors such as tender processes, short-term positions, and a failure to acknowledge the support required to present findings.
A collaborative group method of inclusive research
- Authors:
- BIGBY Christine, FRAWLEY Patsie, RAMCHARAN Paul
- Journal article citation:
- Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 27(1), 2013, pp.54-56.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This study proposes one method of inclusive research with people with learning disabilities, the ‘collaborative group' approach. It examines the processes used to conduct a study involving academics and self-advocates, presenting findings derived from an inductive analysis of field note data, interview and meeting transcripts. Five components are identified: shared and distinct purposes of participants equally valued, shared involvement and distinct contributions equally valued, flexible, adapted research methods, working as a group with trusting relationships and dispersed power, and scaffolding for inclusion. This collaborative group method potentially results in better research than either academics or self-advocates could achieve alone and has multiple knowledge outcomes with differing accessibility and complexity. (Edited publisher abstract)