Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Introduction Bradford’s Health Determinants Research Collaboration (HDRC) has pioneered a novel approach to shaping its research agenda by including the voices of its residents and communities on topics around the wider determinants of health so that research carried out in Bradford District is useful, relevant and appropriate to the needs of its citizens. Areas of Research Interest (ARIs) are a policy-research interface tool gaining traction throughout all levels of UK government. To date, community priorities for research have not been integrated into ARIs systematically, despite research being intended for community benefit. Currently no previous evidence has been identified to show combining ARIs across these stakeholder groups or involvement of communities in ARI development. To address this gap, while formulating the Council’s ARIs, Bradford HDRC integrated community voice into ARIs through the co-production of Community Areas of Research Interest (C-ARI). Methods A mixed methods participatory design was used. Ten community priority workshops were conducted across five Bradford constituencies (n = 153), using purposive selection of underrepresented communities. Participants represented a diverse cross-section of residents engaged through community, voluntary, faith, and social settings. Public Contributors from each constituency were recruited and trained to facilitate participation and leverage grassroots knowledge, supported by council neighbourhood teams. Workshops employed individual dot voting, group diamond ranking, and facilitated discussion to prioritise research area groups (RAG) linked to the wider determinants of health. Quantitative ranking data were aggregated across workshops, while qualitative field notes were subject to structured thematic analysis. Findings were triangulated to generate final C-ARI themes. A subsequent question generating session (QGS) was convened inviting representatives from all groups to co-produce actionable research questions. Results Fifty percent of participants ranked crime and safety as a top priority, followed by cost of living and access to education. The QGS generated thirty community-driven research questions under eight research area groups. Local authority and community priorities were amalgamated to create district level ARIs. Conclusion This exercise demonstrates the value in systematically embedding community priorities within ARI development and that complex and competing priorities can be successfully aligned for policy, practice and community impact.
Source: Research Square
Language: English
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7203826286