RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT FEATURE focus groups with young people , utilising grounded theory ; and a Delphi survey to prioritise the occupational determinants of mental health in adolescents .
The final stage involved developing an intervention programme , which forms the basis for the next steps to develop intervention materials and begin testing the intervention acceptability and feasibility .
While at Oxford Brookes University I was keen to avoid the common temptation to focus on ‘ getting the PhD done ’, an attitude that risks missing valuable opportunities to develop a broader set of skills and invest in personal development that can lead to future research opportunities ; proceeding from a desire to contribute to the profession with meaningful research , rather than the view that a PhD is just another qualification or a career development move .
Therefore , I made the most of the training and learning opportunities available to me . I engaged in a wide variety of training , including various methodological sessions , and an NIHR emerging leaders ’ course .
I engaged in a number of collaborations , including contributing to a book chapter . I set up a departmental qualitative research group to provide support , share research experiences , and develop qualitative research expertise .
I had the opportunity to attend conferences and meet leading international researchers from different professional backgrounds .
I took a couple of opportunities to develop and submit research-funding applications . I also enjoyed the opportunity to join special interest groups and meet with clinicians working in children ’ s mental health , something I hope to do more of in the future .
I have developed my skills in teaching and presenting training . I even took on the role of student representative , which provided a valuable opportunity to understand how the university system works . Consequently , my time as a PhD student has been a very enriching experience .
As I look to the future , these experiences provide a valuable resource on which to draw and plan to be resilient in a post- COVID research climate . Leadership training informs planning and strategic thinking . Networks , connections , and links established during PhD are opportunities for building relevant collaborative research , including mentoring others .
The diverse skill set developed provides a foundation on which to adapt and respond to shifting policies and concerns within the profession in the future .
Previous experiences and work related to submitting funding applications can inform future funding bids . The combination of the PhD itself and these extracurricular activities were important in securing the Elizabeth Casson Trust-funded research fellow post , which I have just begun at Oxford Brookes .
The research fellowship provides a platform for future research and brings the hope of building research capacity .
My own research journey began in collaboration , igniting an unexpected interest in research alongside an understanding that
Watson et al ( 2021 ) report on the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and James Lind Alliance ( JLA ) Priority Setting Partnership ( PSP ), which brought together people with lived experience , occupational therapists and people working in the health and care sector to identify contemporary research priorities for occupational therapy . The PSP utilised JLA ’ s well-established methodology . An opening consultation survey ( 927 respondents ) elicited 1,255 questions within the project ’ s scope , captured within 66 overarching summary questions .
EVIDENCE LINK
An interim prioritisation survey ( 1,140 respondents ) resulted in a short list of 18 questions . This shortlist was considered by 19 participants in a final priority setting workshop , to identify the Top 10 research priorities for occupational therapy in the UK based on what matters most to people accessing and delivering services .
Reference Watson J , Cowan K , Spring H , Mac Donnell J , Unstead-Joss R ( 2021 ) Identifying research priorities for occupational therapy in the UK : a James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership . British Journal of Occupational Therapy , Jun 29 . [ Epub ahead of print ].
research is possible at all levels of practice . Increasingly , research funding requires collaborations between multiple stakeholders such as clinicians , service users , and researchers .
Furthermore , the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the important relationship between occupation and health , illuminating the concept of occupational disruption .
Now is a good time for occupational therapy-related research , if we are prepared to collaborate . This research fellowship seeks to make the most of the current research climate , build selfsustainability , and future occupation-focused research capacity .
Establishing relationships at all levels , from students through to highly successful researchers will be necessary to achieve the research fellowship aim . Our dream is to build occupational therapy research excellence in Oxford and establish research collaborations further afield .
I am enormously grateful to the Elizabeth Casson Trust for funding both my PhD and a research fellow post to develop an occupational-focused research hub at Oxford Brookes .
Exciting , but challenging times lie ahead following the pandemic , but never the less I look forward to the journey ahead . Do get in touch if you are interested in developing research or pursuing a research career .
Jackie Parsonage , Elizabeth Casson Trust Occupational Therapy Research Fellow . Email : jparsonage @ brookes . ac . uk
OTnews August 2021 53