Collaboration and co-creation in autism research: a reflection on the challenges and benefits of participatory approaches in doctoral research

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Taylor-Bower, E., Plaisted-Grant, K., & Archer, S. (2024). Collaboration and co-creation in autism research: a reflection on the challenges and benefits of participatory approaches in doctoral research. Educational Action Research, 33(1), 183-189. https://doi.org/10.1080/09650792.2024.2329195

Publication date: 14 Mar 2024 Added to AutiHub: 20 Sep 2026 Type: Article Article language: English
Publisher source (DOI) Full text OpenAlex source

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Authors

Publication authors
3
Publication authors identified as autistic
1 / 3 (33.3%)
  1. Ellen Taylor-Bower *
  2. Kate Plaisted-Grant
  3. Stephanie Archer

Abstract

Drawing upon ongoing research exploring lived experiences of sensory overload, meltdown, and shutdown in autism as a framework, this article reflects on the challenges and benefits of employing participatory methods in doctoral research. In particular, the process of establishing and working with a Research Advisory Group to co-create a multi-stage research project is evaluated and reflected upon. Applying participatory approaches such as this to doctoral research elicits practical challenges beyond those associated with either participatory research or doctoral study alone. In particular, strategic project planning and time management is vital, given the often labour-intensive and time-consuming nature of participatory methods and the time constraints of doctoral research. Similarly, questions around collaborative design and co-creation must be addressed when balancing participatory engagement with the assessment-based requirements of doctoral study. Additional challenges also arise when considering the more specific application of participatory methods to research with marginalised or vulnerable groups, including the need to consciously and critically evaluate researcher positionality, as well as questions of how to meaningfully ‘give voice’ to communities while still producing high-quality and feasible academic research. However, despite these challenges, the benefits of employing participatory approaches within health and social care doctoral research cannot be overstated, given the capacity for such research to engage with, and respond to, community needs, while promoting positive real-world impact. As such, this article concludes by presenting reflective suggestions for how the use of participatory approaches might be further encouraged and facilitated within the context of PhD research.

Bibliography cited by this reference

Cited references are imported from external metadata sources when they are available. The list may be partial.

Cited bibliography overview

These indicators describe the bibliography cited by this publication. An author name is counted each time it appears in one cited reference, so the same person can be counted more than once. Names not yet linked to an author already present in AutiHub are treated as unknown, not as non-autistic. Last computed: 2 Oct 2026 07:50.

Cited references
16
With a DOI
14
Without a DOI, from raw bibliography text
2
5 / 16 (31.2%) cited references include at least one author identified as autistic.
References with data to complete
0 / 16 (0.0%)
References with detected author names
16 / 16 (100.0%)
Without detected author names
0
Without a structured title
0
Without a stable identifier
0
References with raw author names still to review
0
References with external metadata lookup issues
0
These indicators apply to cited references displayed on this page, after technical duplicates have been merged. A reference without a DOI can still support author statistics when a title and author names are available.
Author names detected in the cited bibliography
63
From DOI or external metadata
63
From validated raw bibliography text
0
Raw names already validated
0
Raw names still to review
0
42 / 63 (66.7%) names are linked to an author already present in AutiHub. 21 / 63 (33.3%) names are not yet linked.
Names linked to a person identified as autistic
11 / 63 (17.5%)
Calculated across all author names detected in the cited bibliography. Among names linked to an author already present in AutiHub: 11 / 42 (26.2%). Distinct people identified as autistic: 11 / 62 (17.7%).
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  15. Dan Goodley , Rebecca Lawthom , Kirsty Liddiard , Katherine Runswick-Cole (2019). Provocations for Critical Disability Studies . Disability & Society, 34(6), 972-997. Informa UK Limited.
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