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BJSW Advance Access published online on June 19, 2009
British Journal of Social Work, doi:10.1093/bjsw/bcp064
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The British Association of Social Workers. All rights reserved

Keeping Service User Involvement in Research Honest

Hugh McLaughlin

Dr Hugh McLaughlin, a registered social worker, is Director of the Salford Centre for Social Work Research. Prior to moving to academia, he was a senior child-care manager within the statutory sector. His major research interests include participatory research, childcare and learning organisations.

Correspondence to Dr Hugh McLaughlin, Allerton Building, University of Salford, Frederick Road, Salford M6 6PU, UK. E-mail: h.mclaughlin{at}salford.ac.uk


  Abstract

Service user research has increasingly become a significant development on the research landscape. This article seeks to critically examine this development and to identify ways in which service user research can retain its honesty and avoid the twin dangers of either becoming a tokenistic exercise or being seen as a panacea. In particular the article highlights issues concerning our conceptions of service users, recognising both the benefits and costs of service user involvement in research and begins to open up discussions on the contribution of service user research to knowledge development. The article also argues that we need to subject such research to the same standards of scrutiny and critique we would apply to other research approaches if service user research involvement in research is going to develop further.

Keywords: Service user, service user research, participatory research


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