“Cohort Consultation” represents active engagement/partnership between the cohort participants and the researchers, ensuring that the project’s decision-making and shaping include input from the broader cohort community.
To enhance the quality and impact of all research projects, it is expected that cohort consultation is incorporated during the development and life of the project. The Raine Study staff will facilitate and advise on methods and opportunities to engage the participants in Cohort Consultations. To get participants involved in your study, please contact the Raine Study team.
Participant engagement has always been a cornerstone of the Raine Study and is a crucial component of the grant application process for the major funding bodies. Researchers are expected to initiate cohort consultation and involve participant representatives during the early stages of the project’s development. This collaborative approach ensures that research priorities are informed by the perspectives of the broader community, making the work more relevant and impactful. There are numerous methods/ways participants can contribute.
We believe that research is strongest when shaped by the people it serves.
WAYS RESEARCHERS CAN CONSULT WITH COHORT MEMBERS:
GUIDELINES FOLLOWED BY THE RAINE STUDY:
- Community Advisory Committee: Cohort members join this committee (RSCAC) to contribute to the research by offering input beyond individual projects to ensure research remains relevant and impactful. Additionally, individual RSCAC members attend internal Raine Study committees and processes.
- Cohort Reference Groups: Cohort members are invited to offer advice on specific research projects. Their guidance can be sought at various stages or throughout the project’s duration.
- Co-designer/Research Buddies: An individual cohort members act as a bridge between researchers and the Raine Study community; they work closely with the research investigators to make it relevant.
- Cohort Reviewers: Cohort members review documents or research ideas, helping ensure clarity and accessibility while identifying jargon and technical language. This activity may be one-off or ongoing.
- Research Priority Mapping: This process identifies key research priorities from cohort and community perspectives, using evidence-based methodologies such as those developed by the James Lind Alliance. The Raine Study recently applied an abridged version of this method through a Participant Priority Setting Project, to establish a Top 10 participant research priorities list.
- Cohort Community Researchers: These are trained individuals from the cohort who collaborate with researchers to conduct all or part of a study, ensuring participant-driven research.
- Community Conversations: Using an abridged version of the World Café method, these events facilitate open discussions on critical topics, encouraging dialogue, knowledge-sharing, and collaboration among stakeholders
The Raine Study follows the guidelines for consumer involvement in research published by the Consumer and Community Involvement Program, which can be found here.
The Raine Study also follows the Statement on Consumer and Community Involvement in Health and Medical Research, which can be found through the National Health and Medical Research Council, which can be found here.
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