Inclusive research design and commissioning – an SRA North event

When was the last time you considered inclusivity in your research design? The SRA North’s most recent event hosted in Manchester was all about inclusive research and commissioning. Chaired by Georgina Culliford (SRA North chair; Qa research), five speakers reflected on their experiences designing inclusive research and gave recommendations for others looking to do so. Olivia Brown (Senior Social Researcher, HMRC) summarises the event.

What is the SRA North?

The SRA North is a regional branch of the SRA. It aspires to create a sense of community for social researchers in the North of England by hosting in-person and online events. These events highlight the brilliant work of and opportunities for social researchers in the North. 

Our most recent event focused on inclusive research and commissioning best practice. The event was held at the venue Home in Manchester and was attended by 40 researchers from a range of backgrounds in the private, public and voluntary sectors.

What experiences did each of the speakers share?

Naseem Allmomen, Magenta research – Naseem reflected on taking a person-centred approach to exploring the experiences of transgender people through research. Naseem talked through general principles for involving participants in the research design process, what it means to create a safe space and how to ensure you represent the nuance of participants’ experiences at the reporting stage.

Skye Curtis, MEL Research – Skye talked to us about empowerment evaluations and their role in inclusive research. This evaluation approach champions participatory methods and focuses on the potential to effect real change in society. Skye highlighted how creating a shared understanding of what evaluation is and why it is important can bring the best out of all involved.

Alison McIntyre and Andrea Barry, Youth Futures Foundation – Alison shared Youth Participatory Research: A Review of Reviews and Practice Guidance. This review sought to address the lack of evidence-based frameworks for conducting participatory research with young people and present what current good practice looks like at each stage of the research lifecycle. Alison emphasised that whilst designing participatory research can be challenging, taking one step at a time to incorporate more inclusive practices can add great value.

Andrea reflected on the importance of inclusive commissioning in quantitative research. Andrea commissioned a research agency to work with Youth Futures Foundation who looked at the nuances of marginalisation and the overlapping of risk factors for young people not in education, employment or training. Taking a more inclusive and considered approach resulted in busting some preconceived notions of what made a young person more at risk of not being in education, employment or training.

Ema Thornhill, Scope – Ema introduced the social model of disability, which explains how people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their condition. Ema’s presentation focused on the importance of self-reflection as researchers: questioning how we approach research and how we can make it more accessible. Ema reminded us to own our mistakes when designing inclusive research - we must acknowledge and learn from them.

What were the takeaways from the event?

There was so much value to take away from each of the presentations. Some of the themes shared by the speakers included:

1. Look to champions of inclusive practice – explore best practice evidence and consult with others who are leading the way with inclusive research design to share learnings.
2. Inclusive research practices add value – our speakers acknowledged that designing and commissioning inclusive research can require additional time and costs. They reminded us that in return, inclusive research can bring perspectives and voices not typically heard in research.
3. Don’t be afraid to fail – our speakers reminded us that we can reflect, learn and adapt our approaches if and when things don’t go to plan.