Pages retained: home, resources, current work, news, communities, about, FAQ, contact and policy pages. Replaced: legacy identity, outdated claims and dates, organisation-specific endorsements, location details, external promotions, old imagery and embedded services. Design system: deep blue, teal, warm white, soft grey and coral; Atkinson Hyperlegible with Source Sans 3; consistent editorial cards and a three-column footer.
Involvestory brings practical, plain-English guidance together for members of the public, researchers and organisations working across health, public health and social care.
Good involvement connects lived experience with research knowledge. It can help teams ask more relevant questions, improve study materials and communicate findings in ways people can use.
Involvestory is an editorial resource for understanding and planning this work. It explains core principles, points readers towards practical tools and encourages teams to record how public contributions influence decisions.
Read about InvolvestoryFind an accessible introduction, plan a collaborative project or explore practical reference material.
Understand possible roles, questions to ask and what constructive involvement can look like.
How to get involved →Build involvement into your plan from the start, with attention to access, support and feedback.
Researcher briefing notes →Explore learning, standards and approaches that can strengthen involvement across a programme.
Develop training and support →Prompts for defining purpose, identifying contributors and creating a realistic plan.
Explore briefing notesGuidance for summaries that explain the question, approach and relevance without avoidable jargon.
Write a clearer summaryLibraries for examining approaches, practical experience and learning across projects.
Browse the librariesPrinciples to support inclusive opportunities, good communication, learning and visible influence.
Read standards guidanceThe details vary by project, but thoughtful involvement follows a transparent process.
Set out what can be influenced, why public insight is relevant and who needs to be included.
Use accessible information, offer suitable formats and explain support from the outset.
Create space for different perspectives, record decisions and avoid unexplained technical language.
Explain what changed, what did not and why. Capture learning for the next stage.
A practical look at preparing feedback, choosing the right route and describing an experience clearly and constructively.
Read the overview →Key considerations when researchers ask people to help review consent information and processes.
Read moreQuestions for teams reviewing shared decisions, roles and influence during a research project.
Read morePlanning age-appropriate, supported contributions while being clear about boundaries and decisions.
Open the report pageNo. Participation means providing data as part of a study. Involvement means helping shape research decisions, materials, priorities or communication.
Ideally while the research question and plan are still open to change. Early conversations help clarify where public insight can have genuine influence.
That depends on the research question and the people likely to be affected. Teams should consider whose perspectives may be missing and reduce practical barriers to taking part.
Use clear language, define necessary terms and provide information in a format people can navigate. The jargon buster is a useful starting point.
Keep a simple record of contributions, resulting decisions and reasons. Share that record with contributors and explain when a suggestion cannot be adopted.
Visit the full frequently asked questions page or explore the resource centre.
Send a concise description of your question and the stage your work has reached. Involvestory will help you identify relevant material on this site.
