Presented by Professor Brett Smith, Durham University, UK
There is growing interest in co-production in the health sciences. This presentation outlines the need for co-production of research, including what is meant by co-production.
An original typology is developed to illuminate different ways co-production is defined and put to use. In the typology three differing types of co-production are described: Citizens’ Contributions to Public Services; Integrated Knowledge Translation; and Equitable and Experientially-informed Research. Why researchers co-produce research, along with various challenges involved with doing it, are then offered. It is suggested that generally university structures and academic norms tend not to facilitate co-production processes.
Next, working principles to promote co-production as a means to advance a participatory turn in health research are introduced. I also highlight practical options for how to co-produce research and advance various criteria for judging the quality of it. Throughout it is highlighted why qualitative researchers are well prepared to do high quality co-produced research and should be considered important collaborators for researchers without qualitative expertise intending to co-produce research in the health space.
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