Collaborative Research In Nursing
What Is Collaborative Research
Collaborative research involves cooperation of individuals,
agencies, and organizations in the planning, implementation, evaluation, and
dissemination of research activities.
Ideal collaboration brings the
perspectives of nursing practice, research, and education to bear on complex
issues of health and nursing. The research process, context, design, and needed
resources for collaborative projects are not unique within the research arena.
The unique feature involves the configuration of a research team whose members
bring varying expertise, perspectives, and authority within an institution or
agency.
Prevailing Trends In Collaboration
Two prevailing trends support collaboration, namely, constrained
resources and sociopolitical accountability. With diminishing resources to fund
research and to deliver health care, partnerships can be an effective and
efficient way to use human, fiscal, and material resources.
Pooling resources
of a variety of individuals, agencies, and disciplines can maximize the
potential of all participants and contribute to a greater outcome. Related to scarce resources is
the call for increased accountability of research efforts.
If finite resources
are to be allocated, society and specific funding sources ask that the project
demonstrate societal relevance and a connection to public concerns.
Through
partner-ships with consumers, communities, or current practitioners, relevant
and timely issues are more likely to emerge as inquiry topics.
Potential Collaborators
Potential collaborators fall into several categories. Individuals
can come to the project with expertise in the research process or in a
substantive clinical area. Individuals can contribute the perspective of
education, service, or research.
Agencies or institutions can participate as
collaborators, bringing specific human or material resources.
Population groups
can contribute the perspective and wisdom of a community. Nursing literature
also advocates international collaborative efforts.
Collaborative Research Advantages
Collaborative research involves multiple advantages. One potential
advantage is a strengthened process and improved outcome through the
contribution from multiple individuals with varying expertise and perspectives.
Investigator bias can be reduced with multiple inputs. Multisite partnerships
give a potential of larger sample size over a shorter time frame and the
benefits of built-in replication.
Resources and potential funding sources can
be increased through collaboration. The possibility of greater dissemination of
findings increases with more participants.
Collaboration with clinical agencies
can help identify potential student clinical placement and supports a context
for research that is compatible with the realities of nursing practice.
Additionally, innovations in nursing practice or policy are more likely to be
adopted if those involved in implementation participated in the inquiry
process. Finally, collaborative interaction can enhance professional
creativity, collegiality, and productivity.
distinct disadvantages. Most disadvantages are related to interpersonal issues
and the complexities of pulling together different perspectives, priorities,
and styles.
Teamwork requires clear communication, trust, openness,
administrative coordination, and distinct role delineation. Without those features,
the integrity of the research and the professional productivity of the
collaborators are at risk.
Another disadvantage of collaboration is the
possibility of multiple review boards and organizational protocols.
Collaboration may also add to the time commitment.
Types of Collaborative Research
Five major types of collaborative research described in the nursing
literature are the traditional model, health care setting model, unification
model, consortium model, and participatory action research. Each model has
advantages and disadvantages.
Traditional Model
In the traditional model, individual researchers from the same or
different institutions work together. In this model, researchers learn from the
expertise of each other.
The usual equal distribution of experience and
expertise means that the research tasks can be divided. The project ideas can
be criticized by two or more researchers with training in the research process
or in a substantive area.
Detrimental characteristics of the traditional model
relate to the need of decreased teaching load for researchers with an
educational appointment and the need for resources of funding and research
assistance. Examples of the traditional model abound.
Health Care Model
In the health care model, research occurs within a clinical
institution under the leadership of an employed nurse researcher.
Collab-speakers include the clinical staff and the nurse researcher.
The
strongest merit of this model is the development of practice-relevant research;
and because clinicians are involved, there is ownership, accepted innovation, and
practice based on scientific research.
In this model, subjects are easily
accessible, and interdisciplinary collaboration is easily arranged.
Disadvantages involve the potential for poor generalizability, investigator
bias, role conflict, and scarce research funding.
Unification of Model
In the unification model, academic researchers from educational
institutions and clinicians from health care agencies collaborate as equal
partners.
Benefits include combined resources from education and service,
practice-relevant research, and enhanced collegiality.
Disadvantages relate to
the complexity of blending two institutions’ perspectives and priorities, the
challenges of meeting time and place, and the need to decrease teaching or work
load for the researchers.
Consortium Model
The consortium model involves individuals from multiple health care
agencies in a geographic region. This model provides the benefits of cost
sharing, large subject pool, decreased data collection time, and the momentum
and inspiration of a shared project.
Because of the geographic distance between
sites, communication and decision making present major challenges. Multiple
agencies also introduce multiple protocols or review boards.
Researchers in
this model often report an ambiguity regarding their role in the project.
Participatory Action Research
The participatory action research (PAR) model combines community
participation, research, and action to solve pressing social problems. This
mode of inquiry involves the community as an equal partner at every step of the
process.
Benefits include empowerment of local communities, development of law
leadership, and resolution of real-life situations. Disadvantages involve a
long time commitment and difficulty in obtaining funding.
Collaborative efforts can be enhanced by the explicit discussion
and written communication of guidelines. Thiele (1989) mentioned three
significant issues that require attention: “questions of authorship,
contribution and recognition of effort” (p. 150).
Written agreement among
collaborators should clarify role responsibilities for each participant,
decision-making processes, tentative time schedules, spin-off projects, and
subsequent use of data.
Engebretson and Wardell (1997) listed the requisite
personal attributes as “trustworthiness, competence, and flexibility” and the requisite relationship attributes as “acceptance, validation, and
commitment” and often synergy and fun.