The opportunities, challenges, and rewards of ‘community peer research’: reflections on research practice

Rees, J., Caulfield, L., Booth, J., Kanjilal, M., Sojka, B. , Spicksley, K., Blamire, J. and Arnull, E. (2024) The opportunities, challenges, and rewards of ‘community peer research’: reflections on research practice. Qualitative Inquiry, (doi: 10.1177/10778004241229789) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

This article shares reflections from a group of academic researchers at the same University on their experience of conducting “community peer research” projects involving nonacademics in social research. We review a range of literature that has influenced the development of our practice, stressing the importance of co-production and power relations. We present six case studies that represent the breadth of our different engagements with community peer research, and then go on to reflect on the challenges and benefits of this approach. We identify a number of practical challenges, ways in which we overcame them, and in particular stress the importance of providing well-designed training for community peer researchers. We conclude with some recommendations for other researchers looking to conduct similar research.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Sojka, Dr Bozena
• Authors: Rees, J., Caulfield, L., Booth, J., Kanjilal, M., Sojka, B., Spicksley, K., Blamire, J., and Arnull, E.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
• Journal Name: Qualitative Inquiry
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1077-8004
• ISSN (Online): 1552-7565
• Copyright Holders: Copyright: © The Author(s) 2024
• First Published: First published in Qualitative Inquiry 2024
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence