It’s good to see public engagement get the attention it deserves in the academic press at last. This includes getting journals of its own. There are now two.
Research for All: Universities and Society is a new journal I am involved in which is looking at the role public engagement (note this is the term as used by universities and incorporates what others term as involvement) is playing in bringing research and society closer together. They have just put a call for papers out and the full spiel is below. More general info about the journal can be found here http://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/work-with-us/current-projects/research-all-journal
Meanwhile ‘Research Engagement and Involvement’ which was launched last year and which I am also involved in continues to ply it’s trade.
It is holding a tweet-chat this Friday 23 October, 12:00-13:00 (GMT+1) on Academic publishing and patient/public awareness of research – two sides of the same coin? #PPIpublishing
There is also a guest blog from Peter Beresford titled ‘Evolving service user involvement – next step, academic publishing’, which includes his perspective on how the field has evolved and announces the tweet chat. Peter always writes sublimely so I hope you will take the time to read his wise words.
Research for All: Call for papers
Research For All: Universities and Society is a new journal and we are very keen to welcome your contributions to it. The journal is for anyone, working inside or outside universities, who is committed to seeing research make a difference in society.
Engagement with research goes further than participation in it. Engaged individuals and communities initiate, advise, challenge or collaborate with researchers. Their involvement is always active and they have a crucial influence on the conduct of the research – on its design or methods, products, dissemination or use. Research For All focuses on research that involves universities and communities, services or industries working together.
Contributors and readers are from both inside and outside of higher education. They include researchers, policymakers, managers, practitioners, community-based organizations, schools, businesses and the intermediaries who bring these people together. The journal aims to raise the quality of engaged research by stimulating discussion about the effectiveness of engagement with researchers, research outcomes and processes.
We are currently looking for articles that describe, explain and analyse engaged research. Articles may include words, images, audio and video. Submissions should fall into the following broad categories. We are particularly keen to receive co-authored contributions. We are looking for a range of types of contribution including:
– Articles that investigate the relationship between theory and practice. These might be conventional academic research articles that generate, build and test theory. Or they might be vivid accounts, case studies, new insights or critical reflections about practice (2,000–7,000 words).
– In-depth feature articles that analyse the thinking around an aspect of engaged research. These pieces draw on the wealth of writing, experience and thought from across different disciplines and practices involved in engaged research. They capture the breadth of the landscape while providing new insights around a specific theme or topic (5,000–10,000 words).
– Commentaries offering views about thinking, practices and debates in engaged research (1,500–3,000 words).
– ‘Who inspired my thinking?’ Personal reflections drawing out key features of a book, paper or person and how they influenced the writer’s thought and practice (up to 1,500 words).
– Reviews of publications, events and resources that are relevant to engaged research (800–1,500 words).
To be considered for this first edition please send expressions of interest, outlines, abstracts or draft contributions to the journal’s managing editor, Pat Gordon-Smith (p.gordon-smith) by 10th December 2015.
This open-access, peer-reviewed journal is sponsored by the UCL Institute of Education and the National Coordinating Centre for Public Engagement. This joint venture models the principles of public engagement in research through its editorial advisory board and associate editors who are drawn from within and beyond higher education. It is published by IOE Press.
Simon Denegri Sent from my Work iPhone
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Simon Denegri's Lay Review 
I agree it is encouraging to see patient and public engagement/involvement becoming more established within higher education and an academic discipline beginning to grow. However, I think caution needs to be exercised in regards to thinking that when universities say public engagement it means the same as public involvement.
My experience would suggest that when H.E. talks about engagement, they generally mean outward facing activities where they are disseminating research in a manner that engages directly with the public.
Involvement as healthcare would describe it is about brining in the patient/public perspective so that it can INFLUENCE all areas of research from determining priorities through to the design, conduct, evaluation and dissemination.
Involvement requires more forethought and commitment and tests higher education infra-structure to enable it to occur. It requires a recognition by academics of the different but equally valid expertise and experience that ‘involvement’ brings to the tables of research and practice.
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I wouldn’t disagree with you
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