Analysing qualitative data with diverse co-researcher and advisory input: Participatory qualitative methods in co-produced research with young people and parents

This session was part of the SWDTP Data Analysis webinar series.

Held Online, Thursday 07/05/26 11am – 12pm

Prof. Maria Loades, Professor in Psychology at the University of Bath

Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney, Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Oxford

Natalia Kika, PhD researcher in Psychology at the University of Bath

Participatory research is a collaborative approach to inquiry that actively involves stakeholders, like community members, service users, or practitioners, in the design, implementation, and interpretation of research. These approaches can be applied to qualitative research across a wide range of fields, ensuring that study findings are relevant, inclusive, and impactful. The spotLight on Adolescent and young adult Mood Problems (LAMP) group at the University of Bath will present their experiences of using a participatory research approach in qualitative studies, with a focus on data collection/collation and analysis.

The first two presentations will focus on aspects of the Can We Connect with young people study, which was a qualitative interview study (n = 24 13-18 year olds) exploring where young people look online for early mental health support and what they think of what they find. Prof Maria Loades will set the context for the study and its aims, and describe how we involved young people as advisors and co-researchers. Dr Nina Higson-Sweeney will then specifically describe how we conducted the qualitative reflexive thematic analysis as a team, which included young co-researchers. The third presentation by Natalia Kika will describe the challenges we encountered with involving parents in a qualitative systematic review, and how those learnings helped us involve the LAMP parent advisory group (PAG) in the analysis of qualitative interviews with parents. The webinar will also highlight approaches that are feasible for PGRs and early-career researchers, including resource-efficient co-production strategies and practical tips for sustaining meaningful engagement and partnerships across projects.