Searching for the Impact of Participation in Health and Health Research: Challenges and Methods

Box 1

Levels of participation [24].

(1) co-option – where token representatives are chosen but have no real input or

power in the research process

(2) compliance – where outsiders decide the research agenda and direct the

process, with tasks assigned to participants and incentives being provided by the

researchers

(3) consultation – where local opinions are asked for, but outside researchers

conduct the work and decide on a course of action

(4) co-operation – where local people work together with outside researchers to

determine priorities, with responsibility remaining with outsiders for directing

the process

(5) co-learning – where local people and outsiders share their knowledge in order

to create new understanding and work together to form action plans, with

outsiders providing facilitation

(6) collective action – where local people set their own agenda and mobilize to

carry out research in the absence of outside initiators and facilitators