BU Academic edits special edition of the British Journal of Social Work
The British Journal of Social Work (BJSW) recently published a special edition, co-edited by Bournemouth University academic Dr Mel Hughes, Associate Professor in Social Work. In addition, two BA (Hons) Social Work students, Shannon Cullen and Lauren Madden had their contributions featured in the creative artefacts section of the special issue.
The issue celebrates the expertise and insights of people with lived experience who have submitted academic papers, reflective pieces, book reviews and a wide range of creative artefacts including short films, original music, photography performed and written poetry and artwork.
Lauren, who submitted a poem, commented: “It was a real privilege and honour to be trusted with interpreting the very personal lived experience of those who shared their journey with me. I am pleased that the poem gave authorship to those young parents over their own experiences."
When asked about this edition of BJSW, Mel commented, “I am incredibly proud of the special issue. To reduce health and social inequalities, we need to harness lived experience expertise. This is often overlooked in academic publications like research journals. When we shared the call for lived experience authors, we received 140 submissions from 14 countries. The response has been incredible. It shows that if you remove barriers and create inclusive and flexible spaces for people to contribute, they will. I hope that we have started something and that other journals will follow.”
This special issue has been written by people with lived experience rather than about people with lived experience. Mel champions lived experience expertise through her roles as Academic Lead for the PIER (Public Involvement in Education and Research) partnership and Deputy Director of the Research Centre for Seldom Heard Voices.
The BU PIER Partnership is a national leader in the field of public involvement in health and social work education and research. Their reputation has been consolidated through the publication of books, book chapters, research papers and national and international conference presentations. Alignment in 2019 with the BU Research Centre for Seldom Heard Voices has led to a growing reputation for developing inclusive approaches to engaging a wider range of voices, including those from marginalised groups and those currently under-served by health and social care research.
