WHERE WERE YOU BEFORE RECEIVING THIS AWARD?
I completed my PhD with the School of Sociology UCD in 2012 during a challenging economic climate for funding and employment. Subsequently, I took up various teaching roles with high contact hours. While I published findings from my PhD, I did not have the opportunity to develop new research to bring to publication stage. By late 2016, I shifted the focus of my research to the health sciences and sought an opportunity to establish myself further in this field through increased publications. I began work as a postdoctoral researcher with the centre for Applied Research in Connected Health which led to an interest and expertise in photovoice research and the patient voice in the self-management of chronic illness.
YOUR RESEARCH PROJECT IN LAY TERMS
In this research we used an innovative methodology, photovoice, to study the lived experience of self-managing a chronic illness, rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A visual artist and I worked with 11 people with RA across Ireland. Each person was given a camera and training and asked to spend about two weeks taking photographs of the challenges and solutions to living with their illness. To understand people’s experiences further, I carried out interviews with participants. As a group, we worked together to host a series of photo exhibitions of the participants images. This was the first photovoice study of RA. Our results shed light on the lived experience of invisible illness from the person’s perspective, as well as providing insight into the photovoice method.
HOW HAS ISSF HELPED YOUR RESEARCH CAREER?
The ISSF gave me an opportunity to further establish a new research specialism in the self-management of chronic illness, and to lead a research grant as a senior researcher. This experience helped me to secure my current position as a researcher with the Centre for Effective Services (CES). In this role, I conduct research and evaluation of human-centred services for government departments and agencies. The skills, experience and knowledge I developed during my time on the ISSF have been hugely transferable to this role.
TANGIBLE OUTPUTS AS A RESULT OF RECEIVING THE AWARD
- Donnelly, S, Manning, M, Mannan, H, Wilson, AG & Kroll, T (2020) Renegotiating Dimensions of the Self: A Systematic Review & Qualitative Evidence Synthesis of the Lived Experience of SelfManaging Rheumatoid Arthritis. Health Expectations 00: 1–24. DOI: 10.1111/hex.13122
- Research protocol for literature review published with Prospero: www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record. php?RecordID=100450
- Donnelly, S, Kroll, T, Mannan, H, Dix, C & Wilson, AG (2020) I’m Here But I’m Not: A Photovoice Study of the Lived Experience of Self-Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 79.1: 1298 (Online at scientific.sparx-ip.net/archiveeular/?c=a&searchfor =donnelly&view=1&item=2020PARE0033)
- Donnelly, S., Wilson, A.G., Mannan, H., Dix, C. Whitehall, L. Kroll, T. (Under review) (In)Visible Illness: A Photovoice Study of the Lived Experience of Self-Managing Rheumatoid Arthritis.
- De-identified interview transcripts and photos from this study are archived with the Irish Qualitative Data Archive. The public release of this data is expected in September 2020 and it will be permanently available to future generations for research and teaching purposes.
WHAT DID THE AWARD MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY?
On a personal level, this grant gave me enormous confidence at cross-roads in my career. It allowed me to continue my research specialism and provided rich experience as a principal investigator/ lead researcher which has translated into my current role. I especially enjoyed the challenge of collaborating across disciplines in the school of medicine and health sciences and finding common ground. I also started a family during this time and was supported by many wonderful colleagues as I juggled work and family life. I am grateful for the new direction this grant allowed me to pursue, and the opportunities it opened up for my career.