Purpose, Power, Practice: A Primer for Engaged Research
Commissioned by Wellcome, and developed by Vocal Collective, Mabadiliko CIC and Pivot Collective
Engaged research - working collaboratively with people who are affected by or have an interest in research, in ways that share power, build relationships and centre lived experience - is increasingly recognised as essential. But knowing where to start and how to approach this work can be challenging. Wellcome commissioned our partnership to develop the primer as a practical, evidence-based guide for health researchers seeking to move from traditional approaches towards genuinely collaborative, equitable ways of working with communities.
A resource for everyone doing engaged research
The Primer is an entry point and a resource to return to. It is designed for individual researchers, whether new to engaged research or looking to deepen an existing practice. It is also designed for research teams wanting shared tools and frameworks, and for research support staff such as engagement professionals, project managers and ethics officers helping others to design and deliver engaged approaches. Funders, policymakers and community partners will find it useful too.
It is not discipline-specific. It is not prescriptive. And it does not assume a particular starting point. Wherever you are in your research journey, there is a way in.
In this short film, members of the Vocal Collective, Mabadiliko CIC, Pivot Collective and Wellcome teams talk about the Primer — what it is, why it was needed, and what they hope it will do for researchers, practitioners and communities doing this work.
Start wherever feels right
The Primer is organised around four interconnected pathways: why engaged research matters, who to involve, how to do it, and how to know you are making a difference. Before any of those, it invites you to start with yourself. Your values, your assumptions, your positionality. How you show up shapes everything that follows.
You do not need to work through it in order. Each pathway stands alone, and you can start wherever feels most relevant to where you are right now. It works equally well as a personal resource and as a shared framework for a team or partnership. A scaffold for dialogue, reflection and planning rather than a manual to follow.
A partnership throughout
This was a genuine partnership between three community-based organisations Vocal Collective, Mabadiliko CIC and Pivot Collective, each bringing distinct expertise, perspectives and networks. We did not divide the work and reconvene at the end. We worked together throughout, modelling the collaborative and relational practices the Primer itself describes.
That included our relationship with Wellcome as commissioner. This was not a project where the brief was fixed and the work delivered against it. It was a process that asked everyone involved, including Wellcome, to listen, sit with what we heard, and let that change our thinking.
Purpose, Power, Practice: A Primer for Engaged Research was commissioned by Wellcome and delivered by Vocal Collective CIC, Mabadiliko CIC and Pivot Collective between 2024 and 2026.
If you would like to talk to us about engaged research practice — whether you are just starting out or looking to develop your approach — get in touch at hello@vocalcollective.org.uk.