The NIHR Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) Cornwall is one of 30 HDRC’s. The HDRC's are funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) to embed a culture of research in their respective local areas. But why is research so important that it attracts this attention and funding?
What is research?
The word ‘research’ conjures up different ideas to different people. Some will think of scientists toiling away with equipment in laboratories, testing ideas and theories to find results. Others may think of people delving into historic books and documents to find information and answers. For many, it may be as simple as an internet search! These are all different approaches to research, and they are all valid.
At its heart, research is the process of finding out new information. This information can then bring clarity and answers that weren’t there before. Everyone actually does research, although they may not think of it that way. Every time you look up a favourite celebrity or the latest sports result, you are conducting research of your own. Research is not only the remit of scientists, historians and ‘professional’ researchers!
So why is research important?
At the risk of stating the obvious, without research we do not have the answers to the questions we are asking. And without these answers, we are prone instead to make assumptions. A look back at history shows many assumptions made that proved to be completely wrong. For example, many assumed that the Black Death was the result of ‘miasma’ (bad air), or a bad alignment of planets. As a result many people spent time and money on remedies that wouldn’t work, and the disease continued to spread.
Of course the scientific resources we have available now were not there during the time of the Black Death. We may even think that we wouldn't make such mistakes now. But acknowledged experts have also stated assumptions that later proved to be incorrect with research. This includes Albert Einstein who said that there was no evidence that nuclear energy was obtainable. And British Astronomer Royal Sir Edward Wooley stated in 1956 that ‘space travel was utter bilge’!
Many assumptions are still made today, and there’s a danger that they could lead to incorrect decisions. Research can help prevent those mistakes.
Research in local areas
The HDRC’s were established to embed research into local areas around the UK. And that includes here in Cornwall! But why is it important to encourage local research?
When local authorities make decisions to support their local communities, there’s a lot of information available. Many government bodies, agencies, charities and more undertake research on how best to support people. The problem with national research data though is it looks at people at a national level. And that means that the research will not always give the best answers in a local context. Here in Cornwall we have a large rural and coastal population. They need support in a different way to those in, say, large scale urban areas. Our challenges, like more limited public transport, lack of amenities etc are likely to be different. And it’s also likely that the rural and coastal communities here in Cornwall may have different challenges to those in other parts of the UK. That’s why it’s important to conduct research in a local area – to understand this local context.
It's also important that research involves the people that it’s about where possible. A researcher might think they know what’s needed – but do they really? The people living these experiences day to day might have a very different view on that! If local people are involved they can help shape the research to ask the right questions. And they can also see and experience any outcomes that might come out of it. This stops research from being something that seems very remote from its data subjects. And it turns it into something that fits in with the lives and experiences of people.
Research in Cornwall
Here in Cornwall, Cornwall Council wants to make decisions that impact our residents based on evidence. Many Council staff undertake research in their roles. But some may not clearly see how important research could be to their work. Or they may feel that they do not have the skills to do it. That’s where we come in!
Our aim is to work with Council staff to provide training and support, so they feel confident to undertake research. Part of this is linking them with academic staff from our partner Universities. Academics have a lot of skills in research and evaluation, that they can support our Council teams with. We are also providing links with local communities, so that they can feed into what research is actually needed. We also recognise that community and voluntary groups are on the ground working with communities. So we are also supporting them to undertake research. Because the evidence gathered from research can then boost understanding of the needs of our local residents.
HDRC Cornwall was set up to particularly support research into health determinants. These are the factors that impact a person’s health, many of which are outside our control. (See our previous blog on health determinants for more information). But our aim is to embed research throughout Cornwall so that there is the confidence to undertake it wherever it is needed. And through this research, we can ensure that decisions made are what is needed to support local people. So not based on national data that may not apply. And definitely not based on assumptions!
To find out more about our work supporting research do please visit the research page on our website. On our site you can also find out more about our Areas of Research Interest. These are identified topics where we will be focusing our work. And to be kept up to date with how we support research moving forward please sign up for our newsletter and email updates.