[Research questions in participatory projects. Critical reflections from the project "Longing in later life"]

A central component of participatory research is the collaborative, nonhierarchical work of co-researchers and academic researchers. The development of a research question has a special importance as it entails different meanings for those involved. For academic researchers the research question is focussed on gaining knowledge and is developed at an early stage of the project. For co-researchers the development and the finding of answers to a question are less important than the possibility of jointly changing their social reality.

This article investigates how these different interests influence the collaborative development of a research question and which factors can enhance the process.

Based on experiences from the participatory action research project "Longing in later life" and critical reflections, this article unpacks the different roles of the participants in the project and the process of co-creation.

A joint development of a research question is time consuming and depends on the extent of shared experiences and the degree of marginalization among the group of co-researchers.