Living and Researching the COVID-19 Pandemic: Autoethnographic Reflections from a Co-Research Team of Older People and Academics

Louise McCabe (), Tamara Brown, Roy Anderson, Liz Chrystall, David Curry, Margot Fairclough, Christine Ritchie, Pat Scrutton, Ann Smith and Elaine Douglas
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Louise McCabe: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Tamara Brown: School of Health, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds LS1 3HE, UK
Roy Anderson: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Liz Chrystall: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
David Curry: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Margot Fairclough: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Christine Ritchie: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Pat Scrutton: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Ann Smith: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
Elaine Douglas: Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 10, 1-16

Abstract: This article describes and reflects upon the work of a co-research team on the Healthy Ageing in Scotland (HAGIS) ‘COVID-19 Impact and Recovery’ study (January 2021 to November 2022). The co-research team (seven older adults and three academics) was constituted near the start of this project; the team contributed to the development of recruitment materials and research tools and undertook qualitative research and analysis with older adults living across Scotland. This article provides a collaborative autoethnography about the activities undertaken by the team, the impact of the co-research process on the individuals involved, and the research findings and reflects the realities of co-research during the COVID-19 pandemic. Team members describe benefits, including increased confidence, new skills, and social connections, and reflect on the increased validity of the findings through their close involvement in the co-creation of knowledge. The process of team building and the adoption of an ‘ethics of care’ in our practice underpinned the success of this project and the sustainability of the group during and after the challenging circumstances of the pandemic.

Keywords: co-production; co-research; older adults; COVID-19; autoethnographic (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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