How Public Voices Are Shaping This Research

How Public Voices Are Shaping This Research

As part of this PhD project exploring social groups and activities for older LGBTQIA+ adults we invited LGBTQIA+ adults to take give us their views and opinions about the project from the very start. The aim was to listen, learn and use their feedback to shape the project from the start.

This post shares what we heard, what we’ve changed as a result, and why we’ve kept some things the same.

Why this matters

Research about communities should involve the people it’s about. In this case, that means making sure the project reflects the needs, preferences, and realities of older LGBTQIA+ adults (aged 50+).

A digital public involvement session brought together contributors with a range of identities and experiences. They looked at the research focus, recruitment approach, workshop activities, and the questions participants would be asked.

Their feedback has directly shaped how this project will move forward.

What we learned about taking part

People told us the session was a positive experience overall. Most described it as very good or excellent, and everyone said they were satisfied with how they contributed. Many felt their input had a strong influence on the project.

That said, it wasn’t equally easy for everyone to take part. That’s important, and it’s something we’ll keep in mind when planning future sessions by ensuring materials are accessible.

Shaping the research approach

The clearest message was to give people space to talk.

While everyone agreed that social connections are an important topic, there was also a strong sense that people’s experiences are very different. Trying to fit those into fixed answers wouldn’t work.

The workshop now has a bigger focus on discussion-based activities while still including some voting and note taking. This gives people the chance to share their experiences in their own words and in a way that feels more natural.

Making recruitment clearer and more inclusive

Another strong theme was around how the study is presented.

People told us the original materials were too text-heavy and could feel a bit formal or like they were over-promising. There was a clear preference for simpler, more direct language and images that reflect real people.

So we’ve redesigned the materials to:

• Start with more engaging, question-based messaging

• Cut down the amount of text

• Use clearer, more everyday language

• Include more relatable visuals

There were also helpful suggestions about reaching people beyond existing LGBTQIA+ groups. We’ll now include outreach through community venues, alongside more targeted use of social media.

Not everything could be taken forward exactly as suggested. For example, while different platforms were mentioned, we’ve focused on ones that are more practical and more likely to reach the intended audience with the time and resources available.

Rethinking workshop activities

This is where some of the biggest changes happened.

A creative drawing/writing task to examine social connections was seen as too complex or not accessible to everyone because of its higher cognitive effort and focus on drawing over discussion.

This was reworked to focus more on conversation, with simpler prompts and more flexibility in how people take part by using smaller groups which can feel more comfortable. Parts of the creative activity has been kept as the elements help capture information that might not come out through discussion alone such as the quality of connections. This helps balance accessibility with what the research needs.

At the same time, we kept what was already working. The post-it activity, for example, was seen as simple and useful, so that’s staying although we’ll keep reviewing it as the workshops run.

A straightforward dot-voting activity was identified which is quick and easy for people to take part in as well as being accessible for people with visual impairments.

Improving the participant questionnaire

Feedback also led to changes in how participant information is collected. We want people to be able to accurately self-record their identify and to help with this we have:

• Updated gender-related questions to be more respectful and inclusive

• Simplified how social class is described and explained

• Added both paper and digital options

  
  

Some parts stayed the same. For example, certain question formats are aligned with national research standards so that our findings can be compared with other studies. While this limits what we can adapt having a consist approach is important for comparing results.

What’s changed — and what hasn’t

Every piece of feedback was considered, and part of this process is about being open about things that have changed and others that have remained the same.

A lot has changed, especially around accessibility, language, and how people take part.

In other areas, changes weren’t always possible because of practical or research requirements. That doesn’t mean those suggestions didn’t matter. They still shaped the decisions we made and how the project has been designed.

Moving forward

Through effective public involvement that gathered views from across the LGBTQIA+ community Rainbow Connections is a stronger research project. It is more inclusive, more accessible, and more grounded in real experiences.

As the project moves forward, we will continue to listen, adapt and be open about the decisions made. While the research is about exploring groups and activities that support social connections this will make sure that the project is connected to the people it’s about.