ABSTRACT
The infrastructure is changing too with the establishment of the Dementia Research Institute in England and stronger partnerships between industry, academia, research charities, National Health Service and the private sector. This chapter identifies the different types of research, including scientific, naturalistic, participatory, and pragmatic approaches. As with Participatory action research, a pragmatic approach would start by engaging with people with dementia to establish the purpose of the intervention but not necessarily with an ideological commitment to consciousness raising and antioppressive practice. Traditional approaches therefore still have an important role to play in dementia research alongside more innovative ones but wherever possible, they must be adapted appropriately. There has been a welcome effort by some researchers to address barriers to participation head on by using more flexible research methods such as biographies, life story, photos and other memory aids. Despite a growing interest in participation, the views, opinions and experiences of people with dementia are still routinely excluded from research.
