In this article we describe the application of a dialogic collaborative process (DCP) to the exploration of issues arising from our own interview-based research in populations prone to delusions. We used the DCP to investigate and develop a shared understanding of ethical and epistemological tensions and their potential influence on the research process. Although our meaning making involved agreement to disagree in relation to specific issues, we are united in the view that full reporting and individual and team reflexivity are the hallmarks of quality for research with these populations. In a context in which qualitative research is increasingly conducted by multidisciplinary and hierarchical teams, we take the view that the DCP offers an effective and efficient means to construct evidence-based knowledge. However, we caution that to maximize benefits, the process must be underpinned by individual and collective active self-awareness and clarity about the commitment of each participant in the dialogue.
Carlsson, E., Paterson, B., Scott-Findlay, S., Ehnfors, M., & Ehrenberg, A. ( 2007). Methodological issues in interviews involving people with communication impairments after acquired brain damage. Qualitative Health Research, 17, 1361-1371.
6.
Carroll, L. ( 2000). Alice in Wonderland. New York: Harper Festival. (Original published in 1865).
7.
Denzin, N., & Lincoln, Y. ( 1994). Handbook of qualitative research. London: Sage.
8.
Drinnan, A., & Lavender, T. ( 2006). Deconstructing delusions: A qualitative study examining the relationship between religious beliefs and religious delusions. Mental Health, Religion & Culture, 9(4), 317-331.
9.
Findlay, L. ( 2003). The reflexive journey: Mapping multiple routes. In L. Finlay & B. Gough (Eds.), Reflexivity: A practical guide for researchers in health and social science (pp. 3-20). Oxford, UK: Blackwell Sciences.
10.
Freeman, D., Garety, P., Kuipers, E., Fowler, D., & Bebbington, P. (2002). A cognitive model of persecutory delusions. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 41(4), 331-347.
11.
Gergen, K.J., & Gergen, M.M. ( 2000). The new aging: Self construction and social values. In K. W. Schaie & J. Hendricks (Eds.), The evolution of the aging self: The societal impact on the aging process (pp. 281-306). New York: Springer.
12.
Hammersley, M. ( 1992). What’s wrong with ethnography?London: Routledge.
13.
Kaplan, A. ( 1964). The conduct of inquiry: Methodology for behavioral science . San Francisco: Chandler.
14.
Leeser, J., & O’Donohue, W. (1999). What is a delusion? Epistemological dimensions. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 108(4), 687-694.
15.
Lingard, L., Schryer, C., Spafford, M., & Campbell, S. ( 2007). Negotiating the politics of identity in an interdisciplinary research team. Qualitative Research, 7(4), 501-519.
16.
Lloyd, V., Gatherer, A., & Kalsy, S. ( 2006). Conducting qualitative interview research with people with expressive language difficulties. Qualitative Health Research, 16, 1386-1404.
17.
Malacrida, C. ( 2007). Reflexive journaling on emotional research topics: Ethical issues for team researchers. Qualitative Health Research, 17, 1329-1339.
18.
Mander, R. ( 1992). Seeking approval for research access: The gatekeeper’s role in facilitating a study of the care of the relinquishing mother. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17(12), 1460-1464.
19.
Mauthner, S., & Doucet, A. ( 2008). "Knowledge once divided can be hard to put together again": An epistemological critique of collaborative and team-based research practices . Sociology, 42(5), 971-985.
20.
McCabe, R., Heath, C., Burns, T., & Priebe, S. ( 2002). Engagement of patients with psychosis in the consultation: Conversation analytic study. British Medical Journal, 325(7373), 1148-1151.
21.
Paterson, B., & Scott-Findlay, S. (2002). Critical issues in interviewing people with traumatic brain injury. Qualitative Health Research , 12, 399-409.
22.
Paulus, T., Woodside, M., & Ziegler, M. ( 2008). Extending the conversations: Qualitative research as dialogic collaborative process. The Qualitative Report, 13(2), 226-243. Retrieved January 25, 2010, from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR13-2/paulus.pdf
23.
Polkinghorne, D.E. ( 2006). An agenda for the second generation of qualitative studies . International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being, 1(2), 68-77.
24.
Rhodes, J., Jakes, S., & Robinson, J. ( 2005). A qualitative analysis of delusional content. Journal of Mental Health, 14(4), 383-398.
25.
Ritchie, J., & Spencer, L. ( 1993). Qualitative data analysis for applied policy research . In A. Ryman & R. G. Burgess (Eds.), Analysing qualitative data (pp. 173-194). London: Routledge .
26.
Rogers-Dillon, R. ( 2005). Hierarchical qualitative research teams: Refining the methodology. Qualitative Research, 5(4), 437-454.
27.
Smith, L. ( 2008). How ethical is ethical research? Recruiting marginalized, vulnerable groups into health services research. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 62(2), 248-257.
28.
Thorne, S.E., & Paterson, B.L. (2000). Two decades of insider research: What we know and don’t know about chronic illness experience . Annual Review of Nursing Research, 18, 3-25.
