Presentation by Dorothy Atkinson at first ESRC funded seminar on participatory research, hosted by Jane Seale and colleagues at Plymouth University, Jan 10th, 2013

1. Practical and emotional issues in
co-researching
Dorothy Atkinson
Plymouth 2013
The Open University

2. Getting close to people
Building rapport means getting close to people by:
 Being friendly and informal
 Creating a relaxed atmosphere
 Using a conversational approach
 Doing things together

3. Dangers in getting close
Closeness in research has the potential to:
 Exploit people
 Make them dependent
 Raise expectations of friendship
 Encourage people to see the researchers as a
supporter/helper
 Delve into sensitive areas
 Leave people feeling rejected/sad when it’s over

5. Saying goodbye
The project, initially seen (by me) as lasting a few weeks, in fact
lasted almost two years. The acute worry I confided in my diary
at the outset (‘How can I retain their interest?’) soon became, and
remained, a more chronic anxiety (‘How will it ever end?’). The
group, it seemed, had a life and momentum of its own, in spite of
my efforts to impose boundaries on its work and limit its lifespan.
I brought the group to an end. It was a ‘happy ending’ for me
(and probably for staff members who were involved in organising
transport) but not necessarily for anyone else. In a real sense,
then, this could be seen as an unhappy ending, with the
termination of the group’s life and the subsequent loss of
friendships.

6. Ethical and emotional checklist
 Exploitation
 Dependency
 Expectations of friendship
 Perceptions of the researcher as supporter/helper
 Sensitive areas
 Rejection and/or sadness

7. Co-researchers

8. St Lawrence’s Hospital

11. Emotions in research
 Life’s journey – from darkness into light
 Past and present emotions
 Using emotion to bring about change
 Finding the right words
 Gaps and silences
 Taking time to talk

12. Issues for practice
Interviewer/researcher needs to:
 Be sympathetic, supportive and accepting
 Stay with the emotion
 Take plenty of time