How do I get involved?

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A Hitchhikers Guide to ResearchWhat is
Research?Simon Jones
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What happened to the history of scientific
method? What is research? Why do we need
research? Who does research? and How can YOU
become involved?
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What is research? What do you think?
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Definitions of research

• Some of the definitions of research from people
  who took part in an INVOLVE workshop
• Research is about finding answers, or even
  identifying important questions.
• Scientific investigation to discover facts.
• Investigating a subject and trying to get a
  result and understand what it is all about.
• To delve into, find answers, and implement!

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Knowledge and change

• The term research means different things to
  different people, but essentially it is about
  finding out new knowledge.
• That new knowledge can then be used to make or
  inform change.

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Health and social care research

• In relation to health and social care research,
  new knowledge can lead to changes in treatments,
  policies and care.
• For example
• new medicines,
• classification of illegal drugs, and
• changes in attitudes towards mental illness.

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Levels of research experience

• Our knowledge of research will differ depending
  on our experience of it.
• For example, some of us will have experience of
  being part of large national studies where tests
  and samples are taken.

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Levels of research experience

• Others will have experience of smaller local
  studies, perhaps answering researchers questions
  in our own homes, in a community setting or even
  in the streets.

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Levels of research experience

• The rest of us may have no experience of research
  at all.
• But whatever our level of experience we hope by
  the end of today that we all have a better
  understanding of research and the ways in which
  it is used.

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Types of research

• There are many types of health and social care
  research but there are 4 types which you will be
  most involved in as part of SURF
• NHS research
• Public Health Research
• Social Care Research and
• Development Research

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1. NHS Research

• is research carried out in the NHS or funded by
  the NHS.
• It can include research into drug treatments and
  medical devices research about where people are
  treated and how staff provide care to patients.
• For example, research involving
• Drug trials or
• Surveys given to you at your GPs

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2. Public Health Research

• is concerned with promoting good health,
  preventing disease and protecting populations
  from hazards, rather than treating illnesses.
• It covers topics like the control of infections
  diseases, vaccinations, and helping people to
  adopt healthy lifestyles.
• For example, research into
• The best ways to help people stop smoking or
• How bird flu spreads to humans.

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3. Social Care Research

• refers to a range of services provided across
  different settings, usually supporting people in
  the community.
• These include care for older people, residential
  care, fostering for children, and support
  services for mental health service users,
  disabled people, people with learning
  disabilities and carers.
• For example, research into
• Peoples experience of using different homes
  care services or
• The best ways to train new foster parents.

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4. Development Research

• refers to the Research and Development process
  which uses the latest and most reliable research
  to improve products, devices, processes and
  service.
• For example, research that
• Explores the difficulties people have with using
  wheelchairs, which is then taken forward to
  develop improved wheelchairs.

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Why do we need research? What do you think?
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Why do we need research?

• Health and social care research helps us to
• Find out what people think about services
• Identify health and social inequalities
• Evaluate how effective services are
• Improve the environment, health and wellbeing of
  a population

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Why do we need research?

• Identify people at risk of getting ill and help
  to prevent illness
• Identify the best use of resources
• Test treatments to make sure they are safe and
  effective and
• Ensure services and treatments are relevant to
  the public.

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Who does research? What do you think?
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Who does research?

• You could say we all do in some way
• But in the health and social context a whole
  range of different people carry out research
  including
• Health professionals (e.g. GPs, social workers,
  nurses, surgeons and clinicians)
• Social scientists (e.g. health service
  researchers, statisticians and health economists)

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Who does research?

• Scientists (e.g. chemists, biologists)
• Academics (e.g. universities, students,
  teachers)
• Private companies (e.g. drug companies) and
• User researchers and members of the public (e.g.
  YOU!)

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How can YOU become involved? What do you think?
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How can YOU become involved?

• You could be involved at any stage of the
  research process
• Funding how research is funded and applied
  for
• Carrying our research collecting information,
  analysing and reporting

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How can YOU become involved?

• Dissemination communicating the research
  findings and
• Development putting research into practice,
  monitoring, evaluation etc.

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How can YOU become involved?

• Research can be
• Full time or part time
• Done as an individual or in a team and be
• Local, national or international.
• Researchers are normally trained, but the type of
  training can vary drastically.

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How much training do you need?

• As a SURF member a specialised knowledge of
  research is not needed in order to be involved.
  (But we can provide training if needed)
• What is important is that you are able to bring
  your own knowledge and experience of being a user
  of health and/or social care services to the
  research process.
• YOU are an expert about your own experience
  and therefore your perspectives have a key part
  to play in the process of research.

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Thank you Any Questions