How things often go
A grant provider makes a new call. A researcher at a knowledge institution sees that and thinks ‘hey, that fits my research well’. In just one page, a number of practice partners are approached and asked if they would like to participate. Those respond positively. The researcher continues drafting the proposal and submits it to the partners. Those make a few more changes. The proposal is submitted and accepted. It takes off and after a while the first disappointment arises among the partners: ‘Was this the aim?’, ‘What do we gain from the results?’, ‘Why does it take so long for us to benefit from this?’
The CAYR methodology was developed to help researchers set up practice-based research projects that can contribute to practice improvement from the very beginning. This is termed ‘impact’.
Practice-based research serves practice and not the other way around. This type of research focuses on the people who should ultimately benefit from the improvements. Think, for example, of clients.
If a study focuses on healthcare clients, the study should contribute to better care for the client, seen from the client’s perspective. To achieve this, equality between all researchers and stakeholders in practice is sought, so that the different perspectives on the theme of the study can be brought to the table and everyone can provide input in developing the research proposal.
Within CAYR, special attention is paid to people with experiential knowledge. These are people who have experience in the research theme from their personal situations. These may include people with dementia, children, end users of a particular technology, social housing tenants, and so on. All views on the practice issue, the objectives to be achieved and the research project are seen as equally valid. Openness to different perspectives and creating a sense of interconnectedness is important within CAYR.