Online training

Online Public Involvement training 

This online course is entitled ‘Public Involvement in Research’ and is aimed at researchers but also suitable for patients and the public (citizens). Over four weeks you will learn how patients and the public can be involved across the research cycle. This ranges from identifying research topics important to patients, through to disseminating important findings to community groups. In this course you will learn practical tips and hear about inspiring real-life examples. Although this course has a public health focus, the methodologies and ways of involving patients and citizens are widely applicable to other disciplines and types of research.  The ‘Public Involvement in Research’ course will give you the skills and knowledge needed to get started with public involvement in research!

Course overview

Week 1: Differentiating Public Involvement and Co-production in Health Research

In Week 1 you will gain an introduction to what public involvement is, and why it is valuable to do it. You will also learn about the differences and similarities with ‘co-production’ and hear some inspiring examples.

Week 2:  Role of Public Involvement and Co-production Throughout the Research Cycle

In Week 2 you will become more familiar with participatory approaches early in the ‘research cycle’. You will learn how the process of doing research can be broken down into seven broad stages, which is helpful for thinking about research activities the public can shape. First, you will become familiar with techniques and tips for involving the public in identifying and prioritising research topics. Next, you will look at the role of public involvement and co-production throughout the second stage (Designing and Managing) and third stage (Funding and Commissioning) of the research cycle. You will hear from citizens that have been involved in these stages, and have the chance to reflect on the value of these methods.

Week 3: What Is the Role of Public Involvement and Co-production Throughout the Stages of the Research Cycle? (Covering Stage 4 (Undertaking and Analysing), Stage 5 (Disseminating) and Stage 6 (Implementing))

In Week 3 you'll look at the role of public involvement and co-production throughout the fourth stage of the research cycle (Undertaking and Analysing). Qualitative research might seem the most obvious kind of research in which to involve citizens and patients as co-researchers – such as interviews. However, you're going to study some other examples where citizens and patients can inform the “doing” of research – such as systematic reviews and even ‘basic science’. In Lesson 2, you'll look at the role of public involvement and co-production throughout the fifth and sixth stages of the research cycle (Disseminating) and (Implementing) respectively. It will feature tips for communicating scientific knowledge.

Week 4: How can you evaluate public involvement and co-production in health research (stage 7 of the research cycle)?

In the final week, you will learn about the ways to evaluate public involvement and co-production in health research (stage 7 of the research cycle). A public contributor gives an interview in which he talks about his experience with evaluating the impact of public involvement. You also have the opportunity to decide on an evaluation tool which could be applied to your own setting.

How to access the course?

To learn more about the course and enroll, please visit the Coursera webpage. 

At the base of the abovementioned Coursera webpage you will find the Frequently asked questions (FAQs) section, including access to the Coursera learner help centre. The help centre can provide you with  further information on how to access the module and Coursera's open content payment structure.