Participatory Research Approaches in Times of Covid-19: A Narrative Literature Review

Abstract

This review aims to collate and organize the current literature base on the use of participatory research methods within Covid-19 and pandemic contexts. Participatory approaches rely on establishing trust and rapport between researchers and participants and advocate actively involving participants in the planning, implementation and evaluation of a research issue. However, by transitioning such approaches to an online and geographically distributed context, the openness and equitability of participatory approaches may be reduced or lost. By providing an overview of current empirical and guidance literature on the use of participatory approaches within the context of Covid-19, this review not only offers a basis for how a variety of methods may be used and adapted to distanced contexts, but also explicates the challenges associated with the use of these methods and the wider methodological implications posed by the Covid-19 pandemic. Furthermore, this review outlines the issues associated with conducting this type of research more generally, providing implications for how distance-based participatory methods may be used in wider contexts where face-to-face interaction may not be appropriate, or fieldwork may be disrupted due to logistical reasons.

Limitations in representative sampling of unpaid caregivers from minority ethnocultural backgrounds in a population-based survey

“…Further empirical work should be conducted to validate this; however, we know the roots of this sentiment. Historically, persons from minority ethnocultural backgrounds are sometimes, but not always, marginalized or vulnerable, defined as groups that experience exclusion, disadvantage, or struggle economically, socially, politically or health-wise [2]. Those who are advantaged in these regards are more likely to access digital health services, and by extension, participate in online research during the pandemic due to their material wealth, social capital and access to health information (now digital) [30], resulting in research outcomes, including policy changes, that are informed by the insights of an advantaged few.…”

“…In settings where there is variation across population demographics, aiming to obtain a representative sample in population-based studies is important to establish both internal and external validity [1]. However, emerging health services research suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic may be compromising representative sampling in studies involving participant-facing primary data collection [2], and clinical trials [3]. The abrupt pivot to digital formats to both recruit and collect data from research participants (e.g.…”

Ethically Researching Local Impacts of Environmental Change without Travel

“…Ethical and impact advantages and disadvantages emerge [6][7][8]. One advantage of remote work is that recording can be done without the intrusiveness of a recording device in the room.…”

“…Neither environmental changes nor research into local action stopped. Instead, remote participatory research accelerated [6]. The aim of this paper is to explore some aspects of the ethical considerations emerging when researching local impacts of environmental changes without travel, namely through participatory research.…”

Adapting a Participatory and Ecosystem-Based Assessment Impacted by the Pandemic: Lessons Learned With Farmers in Tajikistan

“…Implementing such approaches on the ground faces manifold challenges, several of which have been widely discussed in the literature: for instance, the persistence of linear thinking in a complex world among decision-makers across sectors (Bratianu and Vasilache, 2010;Groves and Vance, 2015;Zweibelson, 2016), vested interests and unequal power relations between involved stakeholders (Larson and Soto, 2008;Sesan, 2014), and the ambiguous role of the facilitators or "participatory workers" in shaping the outcome of participatory processes (Kothari, 2001;Wakeford, 2017). In 2020, the global Covid-19 pandemic has added a new level: social distancing, lockdowns, severe travel interruptions, and shifts to virtual working modes constitute entirely new challenges to conventional participatory methods that heavily rely on face-to-face interaction and physical gatherings (see e.g., Hall et al, 2021;Köpsel et al, 2021). The implications for the outcome of these processes are potentially severe, and they further complicate already existing perils of participatory approaches.…”