Health Research in Practice: Political, Ethical and Methodological Issues (Health Research in Practice)

and power in research by discussing issues of empowerment in participatory action research. This is extended by McTaggart's provocative and incisive chapter on similar issues in participatory action research in cross-cultural contexts. McTaggart draws on two examples, one from health education in the Sudan and one from Aboriginal teacher education in Australia to discuss some of the substantive, ethical and political issues in cross-cultural participatory action research. Willis, Taylor and Kellehear discuss the historical, phenomenological and survey method respectively. Willis argues for a greater role in health research for the historical sociological method. He outlines some of the practical lessons that emerged from his research. Taylor looks at the phenomenological method in the theory and practice of nursing research. She reflects on her PhD research experience and suggests that the tension between idealized representations of the research process and the reality of researching a given context often necessitates a flexibility of approach and expectations. Kellehear asks us to have another look at the survey method of interviewing. Using an example from his research with terminally ill cancer sufferers Kellehear shows how he responded, not to favourite methodological dispositions, but rather to the unique circumstances and health of his respondents. Walker looks at the problems of evaluation research in health, a method whose star is rising in the healthcare world. Walker sets us the considerable challenge of rethinking this thing called evaluation, particularly some of the deeply inscribed assumptions about policy, practice and bureaucratic structures. Stevens and Eckermann both discuss what it means to do health research within a feminist framework, and they come to different but complementary conclusions. They argue that there is no end to problems. One learns from ongoing reflexivity, imagination and experience. Stevens' chapter highlights this reflexivity, imagination and experience through the recounting of her Honours research in health education through a I confessional tale'. Eckerman reflects on her research with women and eating disorders to illustrate some of the many substantive concerns in the eating disorder area and also to question many of the traditional methodological issues in health research. That style of reflection and sharing of our research experiences is the hallmark of this book. These narratives restore a political and social context to health research which, by their very union, allow us to see more clearly where the important challenges in this area lie. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Politicians, bureaucrats and the doctors: researching in the crossfire....Pages 1-15 Methodological and political issues in occupational health research....Pages 16-23 Team research in clinical settings: strategies for the qualitative researcher....Pages 24-36 Teaching health research: social sciences in a physical sciences curriculum....Pages 37-46 The politics of method in public health research....Pages 47-64 Dilemmas in cross-cultural action research....Pages 65-96 The historical sociology of healthcare....Pages 97-111 Phenomenological method in nursing: theory vs. reality....Pages 112-125 Rethinking the survey....Pages 126-137 Evaluating drug education programmes....Pages 138-151 Reflexivity: recognizing subjectivity in research....Pages 152-170 Researching women’s health....Pages 171-184 Back Matter....Pages 185-189 Using specific examples of research in health sciences, this text explores a variety of approaches and possible ensuing problems. Fields covered include research in multidisciplinary teams, epidemiological research in an industrial setting and ethical dilemmas in studying other cultures