A decade of teaching research methods at postgraduate level means that I have influenced a generation of occupational therapy researchers.
In this section, I describe the development of novel research methods in my own research practice, and the initiatives I have made to improve research practice in the profession. These include development of a new research methods paper for the postgraduate program, masters schools and online seminars. It also involves systematic reflections on the research degree through current research projects.
The research methods I use are grounded in my training as an ethnographer, drawing on an epistemology that is congruent with occupational therapy philosophy. I have used participant observation as a way of collecting data, for example through using walking (Butler,2014) or meditation as part of the interview process (Butler,2016). I also have an ongoing collaboration with a group ethnographers, through which we have produced two papers about the quality of care in residential homes (Jaye et al, 2016 and 2017).