Community and stakeholder engagement for ethical data-driven research

Engagement with the individuals interested in, impacted by, and responsible for implementing the findings of research has been a methodological paradigm shift in the health research sector in the last decade and is gaining popularity in other disciplines. Embedding community, stakeholders, patients, clients, or end-users in research is an ethical approach which leads to results that are grounded in contextual understanding, and thus more likely to be implemented in a real-world setting. Despite the increasing popularity of this approach, data-driven research tends to lag behind in this sphere, partly due to an uncertainty about how to best engage with those that may not have the technical expertise to understand the methodological approaches used. In this talk, we will learn about best practices for engagement, offer tools that may help you to undertake this kind of approach, and review specific examples to help illustrate the concepts.

Brittney Schichter (Director, Research Integration and Innovation, BC Provincial Health Services Authority) supports all PHSA researchers in research compliance and in fostering a culture of research across the health authority. Prior to this role, Brittney was the SFU Research Navigator for the BC SUPPORT Unit Fraser Centre, in which she supported researchers in conducting patient-oriented research at SFU and Fraser Health. She has expertise in patient-oriented methodology, skills training for patient engagement, and facilitating collaborations across sectors and among patients, clinicians, academics, and government. Brittney is a lawyer by training, has a background in research ethics, and currently serves as the ethicist on the BC Children’s and Women’s Hospital Research Ethics Board.

This event is part of Love Data Week 2023, co-sponsored by SFU, UBC, UNBC, and UVic. Registration is open to everyone.

If you have questions, concerns, or accessibility needs, please email research.commons@ubc.ca.