ABSTRACT
In Poland, very little has been published on the topic of the involvement of older individuals in research with regard to sexual and intimate practices of their lives. With this into account, the authors draw on the experiences of older women aged 65+ who were actively involved in – and co-created – parts of a particular research process as they assumed the role of the researchers and evaluators. The older participants conducted the research in collaboration with colleagues from academia; they were involved as co-researchers, contributing their knowledge, experience, and understanding to the process of data generation and analysis. They advised on research priorities, research design, research methods, methods of evaluation, and ethical issues, as well as on the way in which the research data might be interpreted, understood, and popularised. Based on this, the chapter elaborates on examples of an active involvement of older citizens in the scientific process of examining their worlds. We discuss how older adults can serve as citizen scientists performing critical functions within participatory research in order to promote positive and healthy ageing. The essential part of this chapter concerns the research approach and practical aspects of older people’s commitment to researching a sensitive topic.
