Involving the public in your research
Health and Care Research Wales has a mission to support and develop excellent research which has a positive impact on the health, wellbeing and prosperity of the people in Wales. We believe that public involvement makes research more relevant, more reliable and more likely to change practice.
Members of the public can help you choose relevant research topics and make sure you’re asking the right questions; help you to decide how a study is run, using their experience as someone who lives with an illness or condition; and, they can also help you once your study is complete by evaluating or sharing your research results.
In 2019-20 researchers, research managers and members of the public collectively agreed the vision and practical actions that should form our joint approach to public involvement and engagement which can be read in the 'discover your role' report.
How to access support
At Health and Care Research Wales, our dedicated team, Peter, Rebecca, and Emma, is here to assist you in involving the public in your research. They provide valuable support and resources to facilitate the inclusion of the public in your work. Even before your research is funded, you can access the Enabling Involvement Fund, which aids in public involvement during the development stage of your research project.
To make the process easier, we have designed a researcher public involvement toolkit containing all the necessary information you need to engage the public in your research.
If you're interested in involving patients, service users, carers, or the public in your research, simply fill out the request for public involvement support form or get in touch with our team. We're here to help.
Getting started
To get started with public involvement in research, follow these steps:
- Download the UK Standards for Public Involvement in research.
- Understand the three categories of public involvement and choose the one that fits your research.
For public involvement training, you can:
- Access our online introduction to public involvement short training course, available for researchers and members of the public involvement community.
- Explore the Learning for Involvement website, which includes resources developed in and for Wales.
If your organisation is interested in customised training on public involvement, the Health and Care Research Wales Communications, Engagement and Involvement team can help. We'll use the research cycle to identify suitable areas and methods for public involvement, tailored to your organisation's specific focus. To request this training, please send us an email.
Appointing members of the public
Once you have appointed members of the public to get involved in your research, the following tools and templates will be useful:
- Appointment checklist for researchers - a checklist to assist in progressing with the next steps for meaningful public involvement.
- Code of conduct template - this template can be adapted and populated to meet the needs of your organisation.
- Terms of reference template - This template is designed to help you develop terms of reference for a group such as a public involvement advisory groups or research panels
- Problem solving procedure - involvement of the public is not employment and usually it is a positive experience for all concerned. Sometimes things go wrong, this procedure should help and is based on advice from the Wales Centre for Voluntary Action (WCVA).
- Payment for Public Involvement in Health and Care Research: This guide assists organisations in determining the most suitable payment approach when involving the public.
- Public Involvement in Research Impact Toolkit - is a set of pragmatic tools which aim to support researchers working with public contributors to plan, track and report on public involvement.
- Benefits Advice Service for involvement - a service that can provide advice about the impact of receiving payment for time on members of the public who are in receipt of benefits tel 01234 346 543 or email benefitsadviceservice@bedfordcab.org.uk.
For further support, information or to speak with Peter, Rebecca or Emma about public involvement, please send us an email.