Participatory research in health promotion: An appraisal tool

Description

The aims of this article are, first, to provide a summary of the field of participatory research; second, to offer an appraisal tool for users to determine the extent to which projects and research proposals align with the principles of participatory research; and, third, to link participatory research to research in the health promotion (application) field.The article uses systematic review methods and expert consultation to create a summary and definition of participatory research. It also includess a multi-item checklist meant for appraising the extent to which projects and research proposals align with the principles of participatory research.

The checklist is divided into the following six domains:

1. Participants and the nature of their involvement (6 questions)
2. Origin of the research question (2 questions)
3. Purpose of the research (4 questions)
4. Process and context: Methodological implications (6 questions)
5. Opportunities to address the issue of interest (3 questions)
6. Nature of the research outcomes (4 questions)

Each question has a multiple choice answer format, with answer options addressing the question topic's relevance to participatory research (on an increasing scale).

Steps for Using Method/Tool

The tool is a multi-item checklist that is divided into six domains. Each item on the list is a question that assesses a particular part of the research and qualifies the level of appropriateness for participatory research. For example, question (a) in the first domain asks, "Is the community of interest clearly described or defined?” The best answer will vary depending on the question and the project being evaluated. The tool’s instructions indicate that there should only be one answer for each question, and that if a question is not applicable, users can simply skip the question. (There is a suggestion that “Not Applicable” options be added to each question.) Otherwise, there is no threshold, scoring system or other algorithm to apply to the checklist.