Launching the Best Practice Guidelines: Conducting Ethical Co-produced Research with and for Autistic Individuals with Eating Disorders

We are delighted to launch our Best Practice Guidelines!

What are they?

The Best Practice Guidelines were developed as part of our first work stream at EDAC. They are designed to provide guidance to research teams on how to produce co-produced research with and for Autistic people with eating disorders.  Co-production refers to researchers and community members working together as equal partners from the beginning of the research process.  The belief underpinning these guidelines is that meaningful and impactful research can only be developed in partnership with the community that is most affected by it.  We hope to support researchers in the field to realise the benefits of co-production by addressing concerns about historical research and barriers to this process. 

How were they developed?

The guidelines were developed over a series of five online workshops with clinicians, researchers, the third sector, and Autistic individuals with lived/living experience of eating disorders, acknowledging that many participants identified with multiple roles.

How do you use them?

The guidelines are designed to be used by all researchers conducting research with Autistic individuals with eating disorders.  There is a guidance document for research teams (including co-production collaborators) to work through and handouts with reflective discussion points for the research team to consider a together for each part of the research process.  The handouts and full document are free to download here!

Handout - Designing Research: Developing Research Questions 

Handout - Designing Research: What and How to Measure 

Handout - Conducting Research 

Handout - Sharing Research

Handout - Complete Best Practice Guidelines