RHP (Decide how to research)

This phase can include:

• Exploring methods

• Talking about roles

• Talking about tasks

• Developing timelines

• Planning budgets

Here’s what researchers told us and what we learned from other resources: 


• Be explicit about what the ongoing and ad-hoc roles are in the work. And be open to new roles being suggested. See an example of communicating roles.

• Create Plain or Easy English position descriptions and share a draft with consumers and carers before finalising the role.

• Explore methods with consumers, carers and communities
  for example, are the methods acceptable?

• Think about how to run meetings and workshops with care and hospitality in a way that enables the participation of everyone involved.

• Be okay with releasing some control. Show you’re willing to be challenged and challenge your own assumptions about what consumers and carers can do.

• Separate the research from you as a researcher.

Here’s what consumers and carers told us and what we learned from other resources

• Offer choice and flexibility on how to take part.

• Know what methods can be used beyond what the research team has already planned or commonly uses (see example)

• Be honest and transparent with us, e.g. what can be paid, about the potential for no impact, where we’re not doing a good job

• Have regular team meetings and catch-ups to keep everyone updated.

To avoid tokenism:

❌ Don’t shut down conversations or innovation by saying things like, “We’ve always done it this way.” Instead, explore new ways of working. Be honest and transparent about the roles and tasks available. Notice what’s new.

❌ Don’t pull the ‘expert’ card to over-ride consumers and carers. Instead, ask: how will we decide on this together? What areas could we work together on? What does each of our forms of expertise tell us about this decision?

❌ Don’t be afraid to ask about and offer flexibility. Instead, ask with the intention to make things work as best you can. Notice what more flexibility can do for you, too.

❌ Don’t develop timelines/budgets that fit with a funding scheme but not the reality of delivering the research/project. Instead, have some basic starting points (draft project plan) with opportunities for discussion. Set realistic and feasible timelines and budgets.

❌ Don’t work in “I” statements. Or “we” statements that don't include consumers, carers and communities. Instead, use we language that includes consumers and carers. Develop and use position descriptions and terms of reference to help everyone understand their roles.