A Research Handbook for Patient and Public Involvement Researchers

This book is written for patients, carers and members of the public who want to understand more about the approaches, methods, and language used by health services researchers. Patient and public involvement (PPI) in research is now a requirement of most major health research funders. User-led involvement is a crucial element in shaping and determining research questions, assessing research proposals and guiding and informing research processes. All of these tasks require specific areas of knowledge and skills that can often be difficult for members of the general public to acquire. This text book is designed to assist people in their research involvement journey. Covering the entire research process from obtaining funding to research dissemination, it introduces individuals to the key concepts and terms used in quantitative, qualitative and health economics research in an illustrated and engaging way. This book will be useful for many, including students at college or university, people working in health research and members of the public getting involved in developing and delivering research studies. It will equip and empower them with the understanding and confidence necessary to participate meaningfully in health services research.The editors and contributors to this book are experienced and award-winning mental health researchers, recognized for their patient and public involvement activities. The material presented in this book derives from a face-to-face methods course developed specifically for public and patient representatives working on a national mental health research programme. It is a book written in partnership with mental health service users or carers who have experience of working as research advisors and research assistants. The book includes personal reflections from PPI researchers as well as detailed information on research methods.