Involvement in qualitative analysis: learning from three mental health research projects

2014 Conference

Abstract: Involving the public in qualitative analysis remains limited, but has been shown to impact helpfully on the findings of research (Staley, 2009). Published descriptions of qualitative analysis processes are often brief and do not provide transparency about the messy and intuitive work required (Gillard, 2012). There is a need to provide detailed accounts of how qualitative analysis can be co-produced alongside people with personal experience of the topic.

We describe and reflect on co-produced qualitative analysis in three projects, each using a different model: i) research into mental health social care, working with representatives from 4 user-led organisations; ii) primary care-based research into personal networks, working with a team of 6 mental health service user researchers; iii) a large survey working with 4 service user researchers who had also collected the data. In each project people with lived experience were directly involved in the analysis, from developing coding structures to writing-up findings.

We present the models, challenges faced and solutions found, the impact on the findings and the experience of both service user and non-service user researchers involved. We present learning from these projects which other researchers may find helpful when developing approaches to qualitative analysis.