Creating a lasting impact through public engagement

The data world can be intimidating. Concepts can be confusing, and even entry-level information can be tricky to explain and understand. Even when the public are looking to actively engage in conversations about data in research, there are often lots of obstacles in place and it can be hard for people to how to get involved. 

Data professionals have a responsibility to remove these obstacles, and it’s been interesting and exciting to see the variety of approaches the recipients of our Public Engagement Fund have taken to break down these barriers.

Education is key

Education is an important step in removing the barriers to engagement and opening opportunities for ongoing input, and this has been at the forefront of People Know How’s project, ‘Digital Citizen Research’. 

People Know How are working with the University of Edinburgh to train five people from low Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation areas of Edinburgh to become citizen researchers. The citizen researchers will engage with others about digital inclusion and learn more about the obstacles that prevent people from engaging with data research. The training focuses on promoting an unbiased approach to research, understanding what good research looks like and using open communication skills.

Creating a lasting impact

Educating and empowering marginalised voices through engagement work is vital, but without a clear output, the impact of any project can be limited. 

The team behind the University of Glasgow’s ‘Perinatal Mental Health’ project are ensuring an ongoing impact of their work through the creation of an animated video based on population-wide research into perinatal mental health of mothers in Scotland. They’re planning a public premiere of the animation as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, and it will then be available as an resource to provide information and support to a wide, ongoing audience. 

The University of Edinburgh’s ‘Mental Health – Imagining Beyond’ project is taking a similar approach. Art and creativity play a positive role in mental health and wellbeing, and the team are working with people with lived experience of mental health and inequality to explore why they have been underserved by data research.

Find out more about our Public Engagement Fund recipients.

Note: Funding from the RDS Public Engagement Fund was also awarded to CodeClan, an Edinburgh-based digital skills academy, which has since sadly entered liquidation and ceased trading. The project therefore may not be able to continue.