Creating and evaluating equitable research partnerships: from inception to impact

Organisers: Henrice Altink (University of York), Thenjiwe Mayor (University of Botswana and Responsive Research Collective) and Ulli Vilsmaier (Responsive Research Collective and Leuphana University Lüneburg)

In this workshop we explore how to create, support, and evaluate equitable research partnerships. We introduce a guide – developed by the Interdisciplinary Global Development Centre at the University of York – to help researchers in the global North consider how to organise and conduct research with global South partners, from the inception of a research proposal to generating impact, to uphold and promote equality, diversity and inclusion. After a brief presentation about the guide, participants will be allocated to one of six groups: 1. Conceptualising the research project; 2. Establishing the project team; 3. Developing research methodology; 4. Conducting field work; 5. Producing outputs; 6. Generating impact. Each group will discuss what they find the most challenging about making this part of the research process more inclusive and propose suggestions for overcoming these challenges. We then present a methodology of formative accompanying research and evaluation to support decolonising research collaboration throughout the entire research processes. The specific features of this approach consist of practices that combine learning for, with, and about team research. We introduce dynamic positionality, critical reflexivity, and a responsive attitude as key methodological features and provide guidance on how to incorporate decolonizing practices by deploying Indigenous methodologies in accompanying research and evaluation. Jointly, we will elaborate how a caring attitude can create protected spaces to explore, reflect and mutually learn from different standpoints, needs, prejudices, and team dynamics to make cultural hegemonies visible, utterable and tangible.