Co-production between researchers, service users, and practitioners in practice research – barriers and possibilities

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article presents key concepts for collaboration, participation and co-production in practice research, based on a cross-analysis of three research cases. The article aims to explore questions such as: 1) Who should be involved? 2) What preconditions are necessary from all participants? 3) What nuances arise in the process of becoming a partner? The article investigates how partnerships, participation and knowledge production can be performed in social work practice research, and highlights that any collaborative process is complex, and the questions may thus be intertwined. Such processes require researchers to be aware of the communicative, power-relational, dialogical and democratic processes involved. One of the key takeaways from the cross-analysis is that successful collaboration demands conscious attention and effort towards effective communication, power-sharing and democratic processes.