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1. To what extent should I involve the public in R&D?
We describe three different levels of involving people who use services in R&D - consultation, collaboration and user control - which are really on a continuum of involvement.
We recognise that there is a role for each of these levels of involvement within health and social care R&D. It is important that you are clear about which level of involvement you are seeking from people you want to involve.
Consultation
When you consult people who use services about research, you ask them for their
views and use these views to inform your decision-making. For
example, you might hold one-off meetings
with people who use services to ask them for their views on a research proposal. You will not necessarily adopt those people's views, but you may be influenced by them.
Collaboration
Collaboration involves active, on-going partnership with members of the public
in the R&D process. For example, people who user services might take part
in a steering committee for a research project, or collaborate
with researchers to design, undertake and/or disseminate the results
of a research project.
User control
User-controlled research might be broadly interpreted as research where the focus of power, initiative and subsequent decision making is with service users rather than with the professional researchers. It does not mean that service users undertake every stage of the research, or that 'professional' researchers are necessarily excluded from the process altogether.
2. Which level of involvement is best?
There is no single right answer to this question. Different types
of involvement will be most appropriate for different research projects.
This will depend on the researchers, the people you wish to involve, the research topic and
method and the requirements of the funding body. In any single research
project, you might consult and collaborate with people who use services, or they might lead at different stages of the project.
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