Abstract
The ambition to open up the processes and results of publicly-funded research has led to the emergence of a broad Open Science movement. The goal is radical: to make research accessible to everyone so as to enhance impact and innovation in society. Not only governments and funding agencies, but also universities across the Nordic countries see Open Science as a top priority. Discussions about open access and open data have dominated the agenda; however, how to actually make research democratic in all phases is a key concern as well.
The aim of this paper is to report on, and discuss the strengths and challenges of, an ongoing collaborative partnership in which researchers and practitioners work together, not only to solve but also to articulate problems and frame the research project from the very outset—as a case of an Open Science practice.
The collaborative partnership was established between research institutions and elderly care facilities to study social innovation as a phenomenon in institution-based elderly care. We received initial funding from the Research Council of Norway to work closely together on the main proposal, which was subsequently funded. Five research institutions (four Norwegian and one Danish) and five elderly care facilities and their leaders are involved. In addition, users (patient organizations and professional organizations) were included when designing the study, in accordance with official policies for Open Science practice.
A sequential mixed method design is applied, including qualitative approaches such as fieldwork and interviews. In addition, a survey questionnaire is developed containing a psychometric evaluation representing the quantitative approach.
The main goals of the project are:
1) to identify innovation in daily practices in elderly care and to find characteristics related to how high-quality elderly care institutions are developed through everyday management and work, and
2) to make recommendations as to what is needed in the future—based on perspectives of healthcare personnel, patients, relatives and researchers in various fields (nursing, psychology, social work, health, sociology and anthropology).
This paper reports on the initiation of the collaborative partnership. First, we show how the leaders in the elderly care institutions, patient organizations and professional organizations were involved in co-creating the research questions, describe the research design and articulate the main themes and methodology of the study. Second, we analyse what we have learned from these processes so far: that is, what we as researchers can do to take co-creation with practitioners seriously, and what the advantages and pitfalls of this kind of collaborative partnership may be. Finally, we link our experiences to a broader Open Science agenda and discuss the potential impact of research carried out in research partnerships across domains and disciplines.
The aim of this paper is to report on, and discuss the strengths and challenges of, an ongoing collaborative partnership in which researchers and practitioners work together, not only to solve but also to articulate problems and frame the research project from the very outset—as a case of an Open Science practice.
The collaborative partnership was established between research institutions and elderly care facilities to study social innovation as a phenomenon in institution-based elderly care. We received initial funding from the Research Council of Norway to work closely together on the main proposal, which was subsequently funded. Five research institutions (four Norwegian and one Danish) and five elderly care facilities and their leaders are involved. In addition, users (patient organizations and professional organizations) were included when designing the study, in accordance with official policies for Open Science practice.
A sequential mixed method design is applied, including qualitative approaches such as fieldwork and interviews. In addition, a survey questionnaire is developed containing a psychometric evaluation representing the quantitative approach.
The main goals of the project are:
1) to identify innovation in daily practices in elderly care and to find characteristics related to how high-quality elderly care institutions are developed through everyday management and work, and
2) to make recommendations as to what is needed in the future—based on perspectives of healthcare personnel, patients, relatives and researchers in various fields (nursing, psychology, social work, health, sociology and anthropology).
This paper reports on the initiation of the collaborative partnership. First, we show how the leaders in the elderly care institutions, patient organizations and professional organizations were involved in co-creating the research questions, describe the research design and articulate the main themes and methodology of the study. Second, we analyse what we have learned from these processes so far: that is, what we as researchers can do to take co-creation with practitioners seriously, and what the advantages and pitfalls of this kind of collaborative partnership may be. Finally, we link our experiences to a broader Open Science agenda and discuss the potential impact of research carried out in research partnerships across domains and disciplines.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication date | 8 Dec 2017 |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Dec 2017 |
| Event | 10th International Conference on Work and Learning - Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa Duration: 6 Dec 2017 → 8 Dec 2017 http://rwl10.co.za http://rwl10.co.za/ |
Conference
| Conference | 10th International Conference on Work and Learning |
|---|---|
| Location | Rhodes University |
| Country/Territory | South Africa |
| City | Grahamstown |
| Period | 06/12/2017 → 08/12/2017 |
| Internet address |