Understand involvement
Clear explanations of the difference between involvement, engagement and participation, plus the questions that help define a meaningful role.
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Resource centre
Library resource
A practical starting point for finding, using and sharing knowledge about public involvement in health, public health and social care research.
A place to begin
Build your understanding, one useful question at a time
The library resource helps people navigate core topics in public involvement without assuming specialist knowledge.
Use it to identify helpful background reading, frame a discussion with a research team or revisit decisions as a project develops. The material is organised around practical tasks: understanding a role, preparing information, making participation possible and learning from what happened.
Public involvement works best when contributors can see the purpose of their input and the choices it can influence. These resources are designed to support that clarity.
Browse by task
Key areas of the library
Short, practical routes for members of the public, research teams and organisations developing their approach.
Plan with care
Prompts for research teams on purpose, accessible information, practical support and recording decisions as the work progresses.
Read researcher guidance →Develop shared practice
Resources for organisations considering training, support and consistent ways to strengthen involvement across a programme.
Explore training resources →
Use the library as a working reference rather than a fixed sequence. Return to the topics that match your project stage.
Library routes
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Reference material for practical decisions
Getting involved in research
Explore what an involvement role can include, how to ask informed questions and how to recognise when a contribution is likely to have real influence.
Read about getting involved →Writing in plain English
Use accessible language to explain a research question, a proposed approach and the reasons people may wish to contribute their perspective.
Explore plain-English summaries →Working through unfamiliar terms
Check common research language and prepare clearer explanations for conversations, meeting papers and written feedback.
Use the jargon buster →Learning from evidence and experience
Find material for reviewing approaches, comparing practical learning and considering how involvement can be improved over time.
Browse the libraries →What to look for
A useful resource should help you act
01 / Purpose
Be clear about influence
Look for material that identifies which choices remain open and how public perspectives can contribute to them.
02 / Access
Make information workable
Choose resources that use straightforward language and acknowledge different formats, time commitments and support needs.
03 / Conversation
Prepare for shared discussion
Useful guidance makes room for questions, differing priorities and the context behind people's views.
04 / Learning
Record what changed
Return to the evidence of decisions, explain what was possible and carry learning into the next stage of work.
A simple approach
Using reference material well
A resource becomes more valuable when it is connected to a specific decision or conversation.
Name the question
Start with the part of the work that needs attention, such as roles, information, recruitment or feedback.
Choose a route
Find introductory material first, then move to more detailed guidance that matches your task.
Discuss what applies
Use the resource to support a conversation about local context, practical barriers and available options.
Keep a record
Note the decision reached, whose input shaped it and what may need to be revisited later.
Common questions
Library resource FAQ
Who is this library resource for?
It is for members of the public, researchers and organisations looking for practical information about public involvement in health, public health and social care research.
Do I need research experience to use the resources?
No. The starting material is written in plain English. Some pages explore research processes in more depth, but they aim to explain necessary terms clearly.
Where should a research team begin?
Begin with the purpose of involvement and the decisions that are still open. The researcher guidance can help teams turn that starting point into a realistic plan.
Can these resources help with study information?
Yes. The plain-English summaries guidance offers a useful route for reviewing whether research information is clear, relevant and easy to navigate.
How can we check unfamiliar research terms?
The jargon buster provides a starting point for checking and explaining terms that may otherwise make a discussion harder to follow.
What if I need an answer that is not covered here?
Explore the wider resource centre or send a concise question by email. Include the stage of work you are considering so the right material can be identified.
Need a starting point?
Email InvolvestoryFind the right route through the library
Send a concise description of the question you are working on and the stage your work has reached. Involvestory will help you identify relevant material on this site.