ParticipatoryResearch@Bath will investigate what a positive culture of research with/by/for people looks like at the University of Bath and aims to create and enhance the conditions for participatory co-produced research at the University to flourish.
Defining participatory research
Participatory research is often used as an umbrella term and encompasses a number of different practices. For this project we are keeping our definition broad, for us, it is an approach to research where researchers and people outside academia co-produce knowledge together.
A participatory research approach is not restricted to any one particular discipline, what it looks like in practice will be different for different disciplines. It could be engineers working with patients to involve them in the research and development of medical devices or it could be young people in the care system working with academics to carry out research of their experiences.
It is research with/by/for people.
Our approach
ParticipatoryResearch@Bath will be led by the the Public Engagement Unit and build on the approach taken to previous culture change work (Engaged360@Bath and ChallengeCPD@Bath) and the Community Matters community-based participatory research project.
Over the course of the six months of the project, the will:
map participatory research practice at the University
work with researchers practising participatory approaches to their research to raise the profile of them and their work
develop training and professional development interventions for researchers and communities
carry out desk and interview-based research from across the higher education sector and beyond to understand the features of high-quality participatory research practice
work with community groups and organisations across Bath and North East Somerset to better understand the needs of people outside the University and the potential barriers and enablers of participating in co-produce research projects
carrying out small scale pilot initiatives to broker relationships between community groups and researchers