'You want to deal with power while riding on power’: global perspectives on power in participatory health research and co-production approaches (2022)
Power relations permeate research partnerships and compromise the ability of participatory research approaches to bring about transformational and sustainable change. This study aimed to explore how participatory health researchers engaged in co-production research perceive and experience ‘power’, and how it is discussed and addressed within the context of research partnerships.
Using photovoice to inform and support health systems to reach marginalised populations: experiences from six low- and middle-income countries, Global Public Health (2022)
Photovoice methodology centralises the voices of marginalised and vulnerable populations using photography and critical dialogue to record, reflect and communicate community health issues. This paper presents key benefits of photovoice in health systems research including:
Developing new skills and capabilities by participants; identifying unexplored community challenges and addressing them; reaching various stakeholders to influence change; and participants taking an active role in the research.
Our multi-country reflection paper makes useful suggestions for future photovoice studies including: exploring contextual factors before implementation; developing a capacity strengthening plan for participants; considering using non-visual methods alongside photovoice; and having in place partnership structures between researchers and participants that facilitate power sharing, empowerment and joint decision making.
To hear more about Photovoice and the challenges and opportunities of applying it in reality listen to these informative podcast episodes.
