Interprofessional research:
a complex process
Dr Katherine Pollard
Interprofessional research:
the wider context
• Interprofessional research does not occur in a
vacuum
• Influenced by:
– wider social and political agendas;
– professional and occupational perspectives
and priorities;
Interprofessional research:
the wider context
Social
Political Professional
Occupational Inter-personal
Research issues
•
Choice of methods
•
Definition of terms and/or concepts
•
Researcher reflexivity
What is interprofessional research?
•
Research exploring interprofessional learning
or working, which can be conducted from a
uniprofessional perspective
•
Research conducted by an interprofessional
research team
Choice of methods
• Most useful – longitudinal multi-method projects • Depend on funding and other resources
• Choose a method which will allow exploration of
complexity
• Research question is the primary factor affecting
the choice of methods
• How can the public voice contribute to the
Definition of terms
and/or concepts
•
Who is what?
•
Whose knowledge or perspective should
be privileged?
Researcher reflexivity
•
Sole researcher /uniprofessional research
team
•
Interprofessional research team
•
Team whose membership includes
Consideration of
power differentials
•
Problems related to power and status
differentials persist
•
Need to continue to investigate and to
highlight underlying issues
•
Need to select research methods that
How complexity can enhance the
process of interprofessional research
•
Can give researchers an opportunity to exercise
comprehensive researcher reflexivity
•
Can allow researchers to gain greater
understanding of salient issues
•
Can significantly increase understanding of
causes underlying outcomes of
Conclusions
• Complexity is an inherent component of
interprofessional research
• Choose research methods that facilitate
understanding of this complexity
• Use opportunities within an ip team to explore
your own and others’ perspective, priorities and positions
