Research Involvement and Engagement:
Partnership with patients in a new
publication
Daniel Shanahan, Associate Publisher BioMed Central
COASP 2015, the Netherlands
Research Involvement and Engagement
Research Involvement and Engagement is an international, interdisciplinary,
health and social care journal focussing on patient and wider involvement and
engagement in research, at all stages.
The journal is co-produced by all key stakeholders, including patients,
academics, policy makers and service users.
Research Involvement and Engagement
Patient involvement in research
Research ‘by’ and ‘with’, rather than research ‘about’, ‘to’ or ‘for’ patients,
carers and the public.
“What on earth is the point of doing research if it doesn’t make the patient’s
life better?”
This concept is now embedded in the work of key organisations:
Research Involvement and Engagement
Patients’ role in research
Research ideas
Dissemination
Study proposal
Methodology
Research appraisal
Data collection
and analysis
Ethical approval
Research Involvement and Engagement
A co-produced journal
• Co-Editors-in-Chief – one academic (Sophie Staniszewska) and one patient (Richard
Stephens)
• The Editorial Board who control the direction and strategy of the journal is
representative of all key groups
• All articles are reviewed by at least one academic referee and one patient/public
referee, with the reviews given equal weight in the decision-making process.
Research Involvement and Engagement
Article workflow
Research Involvement and Engagement
Subject-area experts
As Research Involvement and Engagement focuses on patient and public involvement
in research, our patient reviewers are subject-area experts;
Guidance for reviewers
Is the rationale for what the author(s) have done clearly demonstrated?
Have all methods been described in sufficient detail to allow others to evaluate
and/or reproduce the work in similar circumstances?
Is the interpretation (discussion and conclusion) of the article, well balanced and
supported by what was done and/or seen?
Has sufficient attention been given to ethical considerations and how these were
managed?
Can the writing, organization, tables and images be improved?
Research Involvement and Engagement
How to recruit patient reviewers?
• Rely on those already familiar with the process of research and peer review:
• We actively approach those involved in research or those who review
for funding applications
• Targeting patient organizations
• Spreading the word
• We are looking into introducing mentoring and training schemes for
patients and carers.
• All patient reviewers receive APC waivers to submit to the journal and
acknowledgement on the website.
Open access is fundamental to this
Research Involvement and Engagement
Our goal is to make it visible and accessible to all those involved
Research Involvement and Engagement
Our goal is to make it visible and accessible to all those involved
open peer
review
Research Involvement and Engagement
Thank you!
www.researchinvolvement.com
daniel.shanahan@biomedcentral.com