Involving the public

Building a trustworthy national data research infrastructure – a UK-wide public dialogue

In January and February 2022, DARE UK and Kohlrabi Consulting carried out a public dialogue to explore views on how the UK’s data research infrastructure could work in a more joined-up, efficient and trustworthy way.

Recruitment and deliberative approach

44 members of the public from diverse backgrounds and identities in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales were recruited to take part in a series of deliberative workshops. The dialogue aimed to deepen the public conversation around data research practices on a national scale and capture actions that could be adopted to address public views about how sensitive data is used for research.

Structure and schedule

Two initial workshops were conducted online over two days. Subsequently, a single follow-up workshop was held online, involving 10 participants from the two initial workshops. The follow-up workshop ensured that the initial workshops accurately captured participants’ views and expectations and translated them to actionable steps for the data research community to take forward.

Outputs

Google Jamboard was used as an interactive digital whiteboarding tool to enable workshop participants to share their thoughts and work together to deliberate on the topics explored.

Here, we have shared the workshops agendas and materials, as well as example Jamboards, in the hope that they may be useful to others exploring public attitudes towards the use of sensitive data in research and related issues. Explore the links below to access the materials used.

You can also view the full public dialogue report to find out more about the methodology and findings.

GET IN TOUCH

If you’re interested in learning more about our work, how it can benefit you, or how to get involved, click the button to get in touch with us using our contact form.