Citizens' juries in planning research priorities: process, engagement and outcome.
BACKGROUND
Involving members of the public in setting priorities for health research in becoming increasingly common practice. One method used in public involvement exercises is the citizens' jury.


OBJECTIVE
This article examines some challenges and benefits of citizens' juries, including issues relating to process, public engagement and outcome.


METHODS
In Bristol, UK, a citizens' jury was held with the aim of identifying local priorities for research into health and social care. This jury is used as an example through which key issues in public involvement and jury processes are explored.


METHODS
The Bristol Citizens' Jury comprised 20 members of the public ('jurors'), an oversight panel and a steering group. The jurors met at 11 consecutive sessions during 2006 over a period of 16 weeks, which culminated in a written report. All the sessions were audio-recorded, five sessions were observed and video-recorded, and 16 jurors completed written feedback forms at the end of the jury process.


CONCLUSIONS
In this article we discuss degree and timing of public involvement in the process of health research; the role of context; representation of communities; processes of deliberation and knowledge production; and how constraints of time and cost may affect public involvement. It was clear that jurors who took part in the Bristol Citizens' Jury were engaged and committed. This engagement may be related to jurors' belief in their ability to shape future research alongside concern about the relevance of the issues under discussion. Opposing emotions of tension and harmony are a crucial part of the deliberation process.
Gooberman-Hill
Rachael
R
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol, Canynge Hall, Whiteladies Road, Bristol, UK. r.gooberman-hill@bristol.ac.uk
Horwood
Jeremy
J
Calnan
Michael
M
D001294:Attitude to Health; D035841:Behavioral Research; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003256:Community Participation; D032921:Consensus; D003657:Decision Making; D006126:Group Processes; D006286:Health Planning Councils / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006292:Health Priorities / Q000145:classification*; D006302:Health Services Research; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012106:Research / Q000145:classification*; D012935:Social Justice; D012947:Social Work; D006113:United Kingdom