A Guide to Selecting Participatory Research Methods Based on Project and Partnership Goals

Abstract

Participatory research engages community stakeholders in the research process, from problem identification and developing the research question, to dissemination of results. There is increasing recognition in the field of health research that community-engaged methods can be used throughout the research process. The volume of guidance for engaging communities and conducting participatory research has grown steadily in the past 40+ years, in many countries and contexts. Further, some institutions now require stakeholder engagement in research as a condition of funding. Interest in collaborating in the research process is also growing among patients and the public. This article provides an overview for selecting participatory research methods based on project and partnerships goals.

Co-Design for Participatory Neurodiversity Research: Collaborating With a Community Advisory Board to Design a Research Study

“…To ensure an equitable opportunity for participation to all Community Advisory Board members, the research team produced additional material such as the explanation video, which necessitated additional work. These constraints were in line with common challenges reported in participatory research studies (Duea et al, 2022) and were managed by allowing for more time for each step of the design process and clearly communicating expectations and milestones with all stakeholders.…”

“…Community Advisory Board members can help ensure the data is interpreted correctly and that the results are representative of the experience under study, so that the research is translational and relevant to their lives (Vaughn et al, 2018). Each level of involvement comes with its own set of challenges and opportunities (Duea et al, 2022). For instance, a Community Advisory Board improves the effectiveness of research and opportunities to translate the research into action, but is labor intensive and time consuming, and may not be representative of the wider community (Dias & Gama, 2014;Newman et al, 2011).…”

“…In addition, consultative models can generate valuable feedback to refine research design but do not provide community members with the decision-making power of co-researchers (Joosten et al, 2021). Ultimately, the level of involvement should be determined based on the project's goals and available resources, ideally in conversation with community members (Duea et al, 2022).…”

How to Better Integrate Social Determinants of Health into Primary Healthcare: Various Stakeholders’ Perspectives

“…Some 10 participants participated in each group, comprising stakeholders from different membership groups and backgrounds. This participatory approach makes it possible to engage and integrate the views of a large group of stakeholders that are not necessarily considered by researchers [ 16 ]. All participants gave their verbal informed consent at the beginning of the symposium, after the research team presented the objectives of the event and the intention to publish the results.…”

Making the Implicit Explicit: An Illustration of YPAR Implementation and Lessons Learned in Partnership With Young Adults Who Have Experienced Family Member Incarceration

“…Helpful guidance has been published related to participatory research, such as selecting participatory methodology (Duea et al, 2022) and implementing anticolonialism in each stage of photo voice (Fricas, 2022). However, the majority of YPAR literature focuses on case studies about the overarching project, process evaluation, and/or multi-level outcomes that result from youth participation (Anyon et al, 2018;Kennedy et al, 2019;Shamrova & Cummings, 2017).…”