There is a growing demand for academic researchers to show the impact of their work. The focus has tended to be on how studies influence other academics, as measured, for example, by various forms of bibliometrics. “High impact” denotes those journals or researchers who are most often cited. There is, however, a broader discussion regarding research impact, particularly in the applied sciences. Here the issue is the extent to which the research has resulted in a technical or social innovation. By involving the various stakeholders throughout the research process—from the generation of the research question to processes of data collection, interpretation, and dissemination—participatory health research (PHR) seeks to bridge the gap in a unique way between research, professional practice, and everyday life.

In June 2015 the first International Scientific Meeting on the Impact of Participatory Health Research was held, organized by the lead guest editor in cooperation with the International Collaboration for Participatory Health Research (ICPHR), the German Network for Participatory Health Research (PartNet), the Institute of Population and Public Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Community-Based Research Canada (CBRC). Several aspects of impact at various levels were discussed: impact on the participants involved in PHR (e.g., empowerment); impact on service delivery structures from a user’s perspective; impact on professional practice in terms of becoming more user oriented; impact on living conditions influencing the health of communities; and impact on policies affecting health. The goal of the special edition will be to further explore issues identified at that conference.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Defining impact in PHR
• Methods for capturing impact in PHR
• Examples of PHR projects in which impact is being monitored
• Empirical studies on impact in PHR
• The conditions and contexts affecting the uptake of PHR results
• Impact from the perspective of various stakeholders
• Influencing practitioners through PHR as part of their training
• The role of power in the impact of PHR