Getting Started: The Initiation of a Partnership

Abstract This chapter discusses what to consider at the start of a process of participatory research. This includes clarifying what different parties understand by “research”, what type of research they want to undertake for what purpose, and the value of making a “working agreement” based on discussions about how to conduct research in a way that is fair, respectful and beneficial to all co-researchers and research informants. The chapter introduces a set of ethical principles and practical guidelines for conducting participatory research, considering the specific ethical issues in participatory research relating to partnership, use of power and blurring of boundaries between researchers and informants. It also considers how to handle ethical concerns common to all social research about informed consent, privacy, anonymity, falsification of data, and what these mean in a participatory research context. Illustrations are given from examples of participatory research projects.