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Table 2 Key messages for researchers from working with a CRG

From: The realities and expectations of community involvement in COVID-19 research: a Consumer Reference Group perspective

1. Ongoing, consistent, and meaningful engagement with consumers across the spectrum of research will result in outcomes that are beneficial to your project e.g., improve relevant knowledge and translation. This can also help to reduce your (researcher) biases and provide alternative perspectives based on lived experience.

2. Ensure that your consumer group has a mix of backgrounds, experience, ethnicity, gender, and ages.

3. Having the same members in the CRG from the beginning to the end of the project is likely to help build strong relationships and trust between members and research staff. This can result in active discussions about the research being proposed.

4. Collaborating and working with the CRG on research and associated materials means that the research is being created and supported by the people for the people it is meant to support.

5. Consumers will use their networks to help share the research, which may provide access to people who may not have previously had the opportunity to participate.

6. Enjoy learning and meeting new people who are passionate about the work you (as a researcher) do and the opportunity to improve on the work you do.