In this final chapter, we each personally reflect on how the ethics of care has influenced our thinking about research over our research careers. We also horizon- scan for what we think are important considerations for future ethics of care research. Throughout this book, we have drawn on the work of Gilligan (1982) to ask whose voice is present in research and to consider how the story of research is told; and we have drawn on the work of Tronto (1993, 2013) to argue for recognition of interdependencies in research and of experience as essential knowledge. Our argument is that a critical understanding of the role of care in the world means that we need to not only research the place and meaning of care in diverse contexts and situations, but that we also need to practice research with care. We research the things we care about as moral beings: it is a practice that is personal, political and intellectual. We argue for critical engagement that examines whose voice is heard in decisions about what is researched, in what way and what actions flow from this. We recognise what we have learnt from researching with users of mental health services, old people, family carers and others too often categorised as subjects of research. And we take encouragement from the work of indigenous scholars such as Linda Tuhiwai Smith (1999/2012) who has clearly stated the limitations of research that does not engage in the knowledge frameworks of indigenous people. Research has a responsibility to aid efforts of decolonisation, not add to them and to repair harms rather than reinforce experiences of being subjected to investigation. How research is framed has been a constant concern. We need to become better at avoiding deficit- based framing that is offensive to the people involved and to those they care about, and to work sensitively with the people with whom we engage in research.

Our purpose is not to propose a blueprint, but based on our own experiences and those shared with us by the people we spoke to for Part II of this book, we suggest it is helpful to ask key questions about how to approach the research you are about to do and what to do when unexpected situations arise.