title: Service user involvement enhanced the research quality in a study using interpretative phenomenological analysis - the power of multiple perspectives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine how service user involvement can contribute to the development of interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology and enhance research quality.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Interpretative phenomenological analysis is a qualitative methodology used in nursing research internationally to understand human experiences that are essential to the participants. Service user involvement is requested in nursing research.
  
  
  METHODS
  We share experiences from 4 years of collaboration (2012-2015) on a mental health promotion project, which involved an advisory team.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five research advisors either with a diagnosis or related to a person with severe mental illness constituted the team. They collaborated with the research fellow throughout the entire research process and have co-authored this article. We examined the joint process of analysing the empirical data from interviews. Our analytical discussions were audiotaped, transcribed and subsequently interpreted following the guidelines for good qualitative analysis in interpretative phenomenological analysis studies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The advisory team became 'the researcher's helping hand'. Multiple perspectives influenced the qualitative analysis, which gave more insightful interpretations of nuances, complexity, richness or ambiguity in the interviewed participants' accounts. The outcome of the service user involvement was increased breadth and depth in findings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Service user involvement improved the research quality in a nursing research project on mental health promotion. The interpretative element of interpretative phenomenological analysis was enhanced by the emergence of multiple perspectives in the qualitative analysis of the empirical data. We argue that service user involvement and interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology can mutually reinforce each other and strengthen qualitative methodology.
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Nina Helen
authors: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5070-6835
authors: NH
authors: Mjøsund
authors: Center on Salutogenesis, Department of Health Sciences, University West, Trollhättan, Sweden.
authors: Monica
authors: M
authors: Eriksson
authors: Center for Health Promotion Research, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors: Geir Arild
authors: GA
authors: Espnes
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Mette
authors: M
authors: Haaland-Øverby
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Sven Liang
authors: SL
authors: Jensen
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Irene
authors: I
authors: Norheim
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Solveig Helene Høymork
authors: SH
authors: Kjus
authors: Department of Mental Health Research and Development, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.
authors: Inger-Lill
authors: IL
authors: Portaasen
authors: Department of Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, University College of Southeast Norway, Kongsberg, Norway.
authors: Hege Forbech
authors: HF
authors: Vinje
mesh_terms: D000078332:Data Analysis; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design
keywords: advisory team; health research; interpretative phenomenological analysis; mental health promotion; multiple perspectives; nursing research; qualitative analysis; qualitative methodology; research quality; service user involvement