Research involvement and engagement: Reflections so far and future directions

Abstract

Two years ago we launched Research Involvement and Engagement (RIE) as an interdisciplinary co-produced journal, focusing on patient and wider involvement and engagement in all stages of health and social care research. In this Editorial we reflect on progress and consider future directions. Now indexed in PubMed Central, RIE’s prime objective is to publish papers that report public involvement in enough depth to generate a sound and robust evidence base, from which others can draw to develop best practice. Our open access publishing enables anyone who wants to read a paper to access it free of charge, a powerful way of making research more open and more democratic, with RIE a key part of this slow but necessary revolution. While we have made progress, there is still a long way to go to embed involvement and engagement as normal within research practice. Publishers and funders have a vital role to play in changing research so the co-production of knowledge becomes the norm. In this Editorial we highlight key areas that we need to develop to strengthen involvement and engagement. We draw strength from knowing we are not alone in this journey. Our Editorial Board, our authors, our reviewers, and you dear readers, are all companions on this journey, making a wide range of contributions that help us move forward, slowly but surely.