Government Social Research
Last Updated: 16/9/2008
Different user communities will have different needs and priorities when asking research questions. In order for an REA to meet the needs of its stakeholders, it is vital that they are involved in its process. The questions policy officials would like answered by research may be different from those posed by teachers. Even though the tight timetable of an REA presents real challenges to meaningful involvement, the consequences of failing to take account of its users can lead to the production of an essentially irrelevant REA. User involvement therefore needs to be planned carefully from the outset but choices may need to be made about who the key users are and to tailor the REA to their needs.
Users play an important role in widening the range of perspectives and viewpoints that are incorporated into the REA question and the way an issue is interrogated. These can include:
Identifying who the key users are of an REA is the first step towards involving them. Some groups will be easy to identify: funders of the work are clearly a key user group. However, there may be other stakeholders that require investigation and time needs to be given both to find out who these people are, and to inviting them to become involved.
The level of involvement of users can vary according to:
Form an REA team: when to involve users