To make research more relevant and accessible for those living in our communities, we are developing a network of peer researcher colleagues across Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.
Who are peer researchers?
The people that know best what their communities need are those who live within them. Peer research is driven and undertaken by people who have lived experience of the issues being studied.
What do they do?
Peer researchers have a small amount of research training and then lead small projects on an area of interest to them, sometimes within a core theme. They will then be equal partners in research design, the development of the most appropriate research methods and tools – they often collect the data and analyse it and can use their findings to drive change and improvements.
We also work alongside peer researchers in some of our research and evaluation work – they will carry out interviews and data collection. This allows for much greater insight and also extends inclusion and diversity in research.
Work to date
We currently have 19 peer researchers, some undergoing training, some delivering projects and some acting as mentors. The first cohort of peer researchers combined their work into a graphic illustration of themes around access to research.
Partners
We are working in partnership with the Young Foundation and the University of Bournemouth’s Centre for the Seldom Heard Voice to learn how to develop peer research networks
