ICRD’s Community Peer Research model

It has become increasingly important in recent years to co-produce research with those affected by or who have lived experience of the issue of concern and ICRD is committed to the principal of researching with and for communities wherever possible. Central to meeting this aspiration is our community peer research model, where we recruit, train, and support community members and those with lived experience of a situation to research alongside us. This includes working across the research cycle from planning and research question formulation, data collection, analysis and reporting.

Although the approach to peer research varies according to the exact needs of a particular project, the model generally involves recruiting a group of peer researchers, often from a range of diverse backgrounds including by age or cultural heritage, who bring a variety of work and study experiences to the project. We then deliver a programme of tailored research training, to ensure they are fully briefed on the project and to develop their practical research skills. At the core of the training is the importance of developing effective research questions; qualitative research methods including interviews, observations, and creative methods; ethical principles of research and researcher safety; and data analysis and reporting.

Critical to the success of peer research approach is the support we provide throughout the research project, fair remuneration, and meeting the aspirations of peer researchers throughout the project, for instance in helping them to gain future research opportunities and employment.

Some of our community peer research projects include:

ICRD researchers have produced a free to access paper discussing the importance of community peer research.