Publishing a lay summary alongside every research article could be the answer to assisting in the wider understanding of health-related information, according to the findings of new citizen science project Patients Participate! The project was commissioned by JISC and carried out by the Association of Medical Research Charities, the British Library and UKOLN.
Patients Participate! asked patients, the public, medical research charities and the research community, 'How can we work together in making sense of scientific literature, to truly open up research findings for everyone who is interested?' The answer came from patients who explained that they want easy-to-understand, evidence-based information relating to biomedical and health research.
Engaging with the wider community is seen to be increasingly important for researchers. Some universities now offer researchers training in communicating with lay audiences. Medical research charities have an important role in providing patients and the public with information about the research they fund, it has been observed.
According to Alastair Dunning, digitisation programme manager at JISC, JISC believes that publicly-funded research should be made available for everyone and be easy to find. JISC funded this work to show how making access to scientific literature enables citizen-patients to participate in the research process, therefore providing mutual understanding and better links between scientists, medic, patients and the general public.
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