Government Social Research
Last Updated: 16/9/2008
Users can be involved in an REA throughout the life of the project but there are four key stages where you should consider involving them:
The beginning of the project is the most important time to involve users. Planning the scope of the REA in conjunction with its users is key because there is usually not enough time to change the scope once work has commenced. The scope of the work covers everything from the population, interventions and outcomes (if any) of interest, to the type of research that will be included. Users are, therefore, key in helping to formulate the question. Also important is agreement on the way the reliability and validity of studies will be assessed.
While some consultation can be carried out virtually (by email, teleconference etc), a face-to-face meeting at the beginning is essential to build up working relationships and understandings of common purposes.
Once the initial consultation has taken place, the outcomes of this process should be written up and placed in a protocol. As well as ensuring that the researchers are clear about their questions and research to be included, they can also be important devices for ensuring that both research teams and users have common understandings of the scope and purposes of the work, and of the type of outcomes expected from it.
How to do an rea: writing a protocol
To some extent, all REAs are operating in the dark with regard to their likely outcomes. They are dependent on research that has already been carried out and the extent to which it is able to answer the REA question is unknown to begin with. It is essential to timetable a meeting during the course of the REA to take stock, and look at the research that has been identified. The most appropriate time for this to take place is after the field of research has been ‘mapped’. By this stage the broad scope of research that has been identified can be taken to a user group and form the basis of a discussion about what the priorities should be for the remainder of the REA.
'Describing studies
Once the research has been synthesised it can be useful to involve users again in interpreting its findings, pulling out the most significant conclusions and drawing up recommendations. Also, while some aspects of user involvement can be carried out virtually (such as feeding back on a protocol), interpreting the results of an REA is probably best carried out through face-to-face discussion.
Synthesis of findings - stages
Involving users in communicating the findings may lead to the REA’s findings being more relevant to them and other users of the research. User involvement in the development or use of communication materials may also increase the channels for disseminating the findings of the REA, giving them greater impact and reaching the individuals and groups to whom the findings are most relevant.
One method for communicating the REA’s findings is to develop user summaries written by the users. For example, in a series of reviews on educational research, teachers, parents, and school students wrote summaries of what the review findings meant for them (Harlen et al, 2002).
Communicating findings