Peer Researchers in Qualitative Research on Homelessness and Mental Health: A Reflexive Journey From Data Validity to Relations of Ethical Labour

Peer research, in which people with lived experience of the phenomenon under study participate as researchers, is growing in popularity, especially in the social and health sciences. While peer research is meant to democratise knowledge-making, enhance the validity of collected data, and help to gain access to hard-to-reach populations, its mainstreaming has introduced new challenges surrounding the co-optation of lived experience. This chapter reflects on an ongoing longitudinal research project on homelessness and mental health services in the Netherlands, in which pairs of academic and peer researchers have, to date, conducted 956 interviews with people with client experience of these services. A randomised subsample of 30 interviews was coded specifically to analyse peer research methodology and its impact on data validity as well as the daily ethical dimensions of a research project involving vulnerable participants. This chapter analyses the interview strategies, including 'self-disclosure' and 'establishing common ground', of members of our research team as well as the benefits and challenges of doing peer research as they unfold in intersecting relations of ethical labour. Writing this prompted beneficial reflection on the extent to which striving for data validity is compatible with the aim of peer research to achieve social justice. While the team offers training, support, and feedback sessions to reflect on interviewing practice, is this enough? It is my hope that the additional value of peer research is evident in this chapter. Still, I wish to highlight that peer research requires additional institutional support and is not for 'free'.