Examples
Worked examples
- Is an instance
A university hosts a community advisory panel that influences research priorities annually.
- Is an instance
Researchers run a dialogue event with local communities to inform the design of an environmental study.
Counter-examples
Looks similar, but isn't
- Not an instance
Counting a public lecture as bidirectional PE when no audience interaction occurred.
- Not an instance
PE conducted only at the end of a project with no influence on its design.
Editorial commentary
Public engagement (PE) ranges from one-way dissemination (lectures, science festivals, broadcast) through dialogue (community panels, consensus conferences) to active participation (citizen science, co-production). The NCCPE's EDGE tool helps institutions self-assess PE strategy and infrastructure. PE has been embedded in UK research funding via UKRI's strategic commitments, the NIHR's PPI requirements, and the Wellcome Trust's public engagement grants. Best practice emphasises planning, two-way exchange, evaluation, and learning loops back into research design.
References
- National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (publicengagement.ac.uk). Wellcome Trust Public Engagement Fund documentation.
Also known as
PE · Public engagement with research
Machine-readable encodings
Use in your systems
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vocab-term="Public engagement (PE)"
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