Williams, P; (2020) The 'Collaborative Personal Statement': a more inclusive method of data-gathering than audio recording interviews with vulnerable people. European Journal of Special Needs Education , 35 (4) pp. 466-481. 10.1080/08856257.2019.1706256.

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Abstract

Inclusive research with people with learning disabilities often involves audio-recording interviews. However, although barely acknowledged in the literature, participants may not understand that every word recorded will be scrutinised forensically, from which possibly erroneous conclusions may be drawn. This paper describes an alternative method: the ‘Collaborative Personal Statement’ (CPS), which eschews the standard practice of making data gathering an unobtrusive, hidden audio-recording exercise in favour of dynamic interactive note-taking, in which participants’ notes are read back to them, to be clarified, edited and augmented as part of interview sessions. The resulting narrative is also reviewed and finalised to produce the CPS. The paper argues that this obviates problems around, in particular, member checking, as participants are not burdened days later with the onerous task of examining and amending lengthy verbatim transcripts, often replete with various unflattering disfluencies. Also, the constant refining and clarification entailed in producing the CPS helps enable researchers to better explore, understand and analyse participant perspectives and meanings. To put the method into a research perspective, a case study of its use is outlined – the creation of a ‘living electronic archive’ relating the use and impact of mobile technology on the lives of people with learning disabilities.

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