Table 1 Concepts of knowledge user engagement as described by Jull et al. [7]
Concept | Description of collaborative research process |
|---|---|
Researcher: prepare, support | Initiate/support researcher capacity/behaviour for power-sharing, expertise, engagement—includes language and knowledge differences, learning (e.g. attending meetings with community groups, volunteering and working with groups to understand knowledge user perspectives) |
Knowledge user: prepare, support | Initiate/support knowledge user/community organizational capacity/behaviour for power-sharing, expertise, engagement (e.g. develop resource manual, provide training in research methods) |
Relational process | Initiate and/or sustain a relational process (relationship-building) between knowledge user–researcher to promote respect, reciprocity, trust and partnership synergy |
Research agenda | Engage in a process to define study agenda: scope, priorities, objective(s) |
Ethics: principles/values | Conduct knowledge user–researcher partnership work in an ethical way demonstrated by reflection on ethical concepts and/or concern with particular values, and research conducted in ways reported as meaningful, respectful, inclusive of those in the research partnership. Evidence of principled (versus policy, rules) research conduct |
Research questions | Define research questions to identify what, specifically, the research project aims to achieve to justify the need to conduct the research (i.e. how/why was this topic chosen? What gap will it fill?) |
Resources | Develop funding applications/grant proposals for and/or to obtain resources (e.g. funding, time) to support knowledge user–researcher engagement |
Ethics: policy/rules | Conduct knowledge user–research partnership work in an ethical way demonstrated by participation in an ethical application development (e.g. writing consent forms), review (e.g. research ethics board, community review) and/or development and/or use of an ethical framework (e.g. knowledge user role in the use of particular protocols, processes) |
Methodology | Decide on the research methodology (approach) or report process to justify the use of the proposed methodology |
Methods | Decide upon research methods and a justification for the use of the proposed methods; selection of outcome measures |
Collect data | Collect data and include tool development |
Analysis | Decide about the analysis and interpretation of data (e.g. what form of analysis and how it will be conducted) |
Disseminate | Identify the appropriate audience to disseminate the research findings and tailor the message and medium to the audience to create tangible products (e.g. publication of findings, community meetings) |
Evaluate | Evaluate the research study processes |
Sustain | Maintain study benefits at a certain rate, level [i.e. make deliberate efforts to sustain study intervention(s)] |