Integration and Implementation Insights publish new article on the Working it out Together toolkit
How can researchers and people with Lived Experience expertise work together in ways that are meaningful, authentic and embedded throughout the research process?
Catherine Brasier, Dan Chamberlain and Sarah Wilson explore this question in a new i2Insights article on the Wellways Six Steps of the Research Life Cycle, developed through the Working it out together approach.
The framework supports researchers and people with Lived Experience expertise to work together across six stages of research: connecting and identifying the research question, power and decision making, research methods, data collection, data analysis, and sharing findings.
Across these stages, 16 practical actions provide guidance for embedding Lived Experience leadership, expertise and values throughout a research project. This includes considering how power and decisions are shared, creating accessible and inclusive research processes, supporting the wellbeing of research teams, and involving people with Lived Experience as active contributors and leaders in data collection, analysis and dissemination.
The approach recognises that Lived Experience expertise brings knowledge grounded in personal experience, understanding of the experiences of others, Lived Experience values and practices, and the history and broader social and systemic context of the Lived Experience movement.
The six steps and accompanying actions are designed as a practical guide rather than a fixed model, recognising that every research project and partnership is different.
The approach is detailed further in Working it out together: A concise workbook for Lived Experience-centred mental health and wellbeing research practice, developed by the Collaborative Centre and Wellways Australia.