Area of Science:

• Addiction Research
• Social Equity in Science
• Participatory Action Research

Context:

• Superficial involvement of individuals with lived experience risks perpetuating social inequity.
• Professionalization of experiential expertise in addiction research presents unique challenges.
• Long-term collaborative processes between academic and experiential knowledge holders are examined.

Purpose:

• To critically analyze diverse participation models in addiction research.
• To explore conceptual issues surrounding experiential knowledge and its recognition.
• To identify facilitators and barriers in collaborative research involving people with lived experience.

Summary:

• Co-constructed analysis of collaborative research in addiction services over several years.
• Examines the spectrum of involvement for individuals with experiential knowledge.
• Discusses conceptual nuances and the formalization of experiential expertise.

Impact:

• Highlights the need for institutional rule review to better acknowledge experiential knowledge.
• Advocates for integrating experiential expertise into research hiring processes.
• Emphasizes that research eligibility should value lived experience beyond academic credentials.