Participatory data analysis: a step too far?

Abstract

Interest in participatory research methods has grown considerably in the spheres of research with children and young people and research with people with learning disabilities. This growth is rooted in different but related paradigm shifts in childhood and disability. I argue that despite developments in participatory approaches, participatory data analysis has been attempted less than participation in other aspects of research with either children or people with learning disabilities, and that the challenges involved in this are particularly under-explored and important with the latter where we need to investigate what is possible. I discuss why participation in analysis is often neglected before reviewing different responses to the challenge including examples of informal and formal, unstructured and structured, trained and untrained, explicit and implicit approaches. Finally, I make the case for authentic reciprocal learning in exploring the potential benefits of participatory analysis to people and to research.

Apoyando la participación real de las personas con discapacidad intelectual: una experiencia de investigación inclusiva sobre vida independiente

“…Algunos autores (Nind, 2011) señalan que probablemente no todos los aspectos del análisis de datos sean accesibles a los investigadores con discapacidad. Sin embargo, según esta autora, las personas con discapacidad podrían participar conjuntamente en la interpretación de los datos y los resultados de la investigación, contribuyendo de este modo al avance del conocimiento.…”

How to Ensure Ethicality of Action Research in the Classroom?

“…It is not possible that the participatory research is able to produce the best research data, results, and even commit to the research within the atmosphere of this kind of ethical and moral excellence. (Gallacher & Gallagher, 2008; see also Holland et al, 2008;Nind, 2011. ) In child research, attention is naturally paid on children's rights which in practice may appear as giving the children mandates to decide about themselves and their action.…”

Ethical Perspectives on Sámi School Research

“…The society produces certain kinds of citizens' and children's rights which may appear in the field of social sciences so that researchers may become encouraged to use more participatory approaches in their studies. As children's societal rights seemingly hint of their ethical and moral excellence, the researcher may find it difficult to regard ethnographic research with criticism (Nind, 2011).…”