Toolkit for Remote Inclusive Research

This strategy can be used for: Team Decision Making | Choosing a Topic for Research | Data Analysis

Team members can identify patterns of similarities and differences in ideas by physically moving them into categories. This strategy can be used in two ways:

Issues Identification & Collaborative Decision Making

Provide sticky notes, index cards, or small pieces of paper to each member of the research team
- If the team would like each person to have "equal" input, each team member should have the same number of pieces of paper
Provide a prompt/question
- For example, "How should we collect data?" (decision making) or "What is an important part of healthy relationships?" (issue identification)
Based on a prompt or question, each person writes a private response on a piece of paper.
- Each piece of paper should contain one idea/opinion
The group works together to physically move the responses on each piece of paper into categories, with common ideas in the same category.
Making decisions: The number of pieces of paper in each category can also be counted to identify the most important or most highly endorsed ideas.

Data Analysis

This strategy can be used with qualitative data from interviews, focus groups, or open ended survey questions.

Place individual quotes on separate pieces of paper.
- To reduce the amount of data analyzed, researchers can select key quotes or phrases from each response to present to the group.
Identify the main idea in each response. Write the main idea on the front or back of the piece of paper in color that is different from the text of the data.
Physically move responses with similar main ideas into a group to form a category.
Generate a name for each category to identify a theme.

Security note: Remove identifying information from data prior to sharing it through online platforms.

Modification for remote collaboration

Simulate pieces of paper by creating movable text boxes in a presentation or electronic document. Using screen share and remote control capabilities during video conferencing, team-members can drag text boxes into categories
- Alternative option: Use a shared document so all team members can simultaneously access and move the text boxes
Some online surveys include drag and drop features that can be physically moved into categories. Ideas generated using other methods can be entered into the online survey, and then moved into similar categories by the group or by individual team members.
Some collaborative software and websites feature virtual "sticky notes" (see tools to explore, below)

Access Accommodations and Supports

Team members can dictate responses out loud while others write/type what is shared.
Team members can draw ideas on the piece of paper instead of writing or speaking.
Provide prompts before the meeting to give team members more time to think of their ideas and plan their response.
Use different colors to represent different prompts. For example, green paper for a prompt to think of something that is a strength and red paper for a prompt to think of something that is a need. The color can make it easier to identify similar responses.

Resources

Virtual Sticky Notes slides
Directions: How to use the "remote control" tool
If you are using the "remote control" feature during video conferencing to allow other team members to type on the main screen, remote control may only be available if users have downloaded the desktop app (instead of joining from the web app).

Security Note: Mac users likely need to change settings to allow remote control.
System Preferences > Security and Privacy > Accessibility, then "Click the lock to make changes," then check box next to the program you wish to give remote access to, then click "+"
Here is a video describing how to make drag and drop activities using Google Slides
Here is a video describing how to use Google Jamboard
Here is a video showing how to create a shared Google Doc

Tools to Explore

The follow collaborative workspaces include sticky notes:

References

Examples of studies using this strategy

Brooks, M., Davies, S., & Twigg, E. (2013). A measure for feelings – using inclusive research to develop a tool for evaluating psychological therapy (Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation – Learning Disability). British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 41(4), 320–329. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12020

Frankena, T. K., Naaldenberg, J., Tobi, H., van der Cruijsen, A., Jansen, H., van Schrojenstein Lantman-de Valk, H., Leusink, G., & Cardol, M. (2018). A membership categorization analysis of roles, activities and relationships in inclusive research conducted by co‐researchers with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 32(3), 719–729. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12567

Haigh, A., Lee, D., Shaw, C., Hawthorne, M., Chamberlain, S., Newman, D. W., Clarke, Z., & Beail, N. (2013). What things make people with a learning disability happy and satisfied with their lives: An inclusive research project. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 26(1), 26–33. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12012

Martin, L., Grandia, P., Ouellette-Kuntz, H., & Cobigo, V. (2016). From framework to practice: Person-directed planning in the real world. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities : JARID, 29(6), 552–565. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12214

Nicolaidis, C., Raymaker, D., McDonald, K., Dern, S., Ashkenazy, E., Boisclair, C., Robertson, S., & Baggs, A. (2011). Collaboration strategies in nontraditional community-based participatory research partnerships: Lessons from an academic−community partnership with autistic self-advocates. Progress in Community Health Partnerships : Research, Education, and Action, 5(2), 143–150. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2011.0022

Ryan, S. M., Yuan, S. J., Karambelas, A. M., Lampugnale, L. E., Parrott, B. J., Sagar, C. E., & Terry, T. V. (2015). "We are researchers": Students with and without intellectual disabilities research the university experience in a participatory action research course. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 16(2), 70–82. https://doi.org/10.1080/23297018.2019.1627571

Schwartz, A. E., Young Adult Mental Health/Peer Mentoring Research, Kramer, J. M., Rogers, E. S., McDonald, K. E., & Cohn, E. S. (2020). Stakeholder‐driven approach to developing a peer‐mentoring intervention for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and co‐occurring mental health conditions. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1111/jar.12721

Sitter, K. C., Burke, A. C., Ladhani, S., & Mallay, N. (2019). Supporting positive sexual health for persons with developmental disabilities: Stories about the right to love. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 47, 255– 263. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12287

Examples of studies using this accommodation

Kramer, J., Barth, Y., Curtis, K., Livingston, K., O’Neil, M., Smith, Z., Vallier, S., & Wolfe, A. (2013). Involving youth with disabilities in the development and evaluation of a new advocacy training: Project TEAM. Disability and Rehabilitation, 35(7), 614–622. https://doi.org/10.3109/09638288.2012.705218

Kramer, J. M., Schwartz, A. E., Watkins, D., Peace, M., Luterman, S., Barnhart, B., Bouma-Sims, J., Riley, J., Shouse, J., Maharaj, R., Rosenberg, C. R., Harvey, K., Huereña, J., Schmid, K., & Alexander, J. S. (2019). Improving research and practice: Priorities for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental health needs. Journal of Mental Health Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 12(3-4), 97-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/19315864.2019.1636910

Nicolaidis, C., Raymaker, D., Katz, M., Oschwald, M., Goe, R., Leotti, S., Grantham, L., Plourde, E., Salomon, J., Hughes, R. B., & Powers, L. E. (2015). Community-based participatory research to adapt health measures for use by people with developmental disabilities. Progress in Community Health Partnerships : Research, Education, and Action, 9(2), 157–170. https://doi.org/10.1353/cpr.2015.0037

Northway, R., Hurley, K., O’Connor, C., Thomas, H., Howarth, J., Langley, E., & Bale, S. (2014). Deciding what to research: An overview of a participatory workshop. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42(4), 323–327. https://doi.org/10.1111/bld.12080

Rodgers, J. (1999). Trying to get it right: Undertaking research involving people with learning difficulties. Disability & Society, 14(4), 421–433. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599926046

Salmon, N., Carey, E., & Hunt, A. (2014). Research skills for people with intellectual disabilities. Learning Disability Practice, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.7748/ldp2014.03.17.3.27.e1512

Williams, V., Simons, K., & Swindon People First Research Team. (2005). More researching together: The role of nondisabled researchers in working with People First members. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 33(1), 6–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-3156.2004.00299.x

Williams, V., Simons, K., Gramlich, S., McBride, G., Snelham, N., & Myers, B. (2003). Paying the piper and calling the tune? The relationship between parents and direct payments for people with intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 16(3), 219–228. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1468-3148.2003.00164.x

Williamson, H. J., van Heumen, L., & Schwartz, A. E. (2020). Photovoice with individuals with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities: Lessons learned from inclusive research efforts. Collaborations: A Journal of Community-Based Research and Practice, 3(1), 8. https://doi.org/10.33596/coll.45

Physical Sorting of Ideas