April University of Galway invites public to help shape healthcare through Citizen Science project

University of Galway is inviting the public to contribute to a new initiative aimed at exploring important health-related questions and helping shape the future of health research.

In celebration of Citizen Science Month, The People’s Review project allows individuals to become citizen scientists, suggesting important health questions, working alongside researchers, and contributing to a systematic review.

Systematic reviews gathers all available research on a topic to provide a clear and accurate understanding of what does and does not work in health treatments. These reviews combine findings from multiple studies to ensure healthcare decisions are based on trustworthy evidence and are used by healthcare professionals, researchers, policymakers, and the public to make informed health choices.

Éle Quinn, The People's Review Project Lead from the University’s School of Health Sciences, said: “We are so excited to open up the world of health research to the wider public with The People's Review. We're living in a time where it's harder than ever to know what health information we can trust. That’s where systematic reviews come in — they help cut through the noise by bringing together all the available evidence about health treatments. The People's Review invites everyone to get involved in the process, opening the doors to research in a way that's accessible, inclusive, and even a little bit fun! It's a unique opportunity for the public to have their say, enjoy science, and contribute to a real-life systematic review."

The People's Review is being led by a diverse team within Evidence Synthesis Ireland in University of Galway’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. The team also includes an International Steering Group hailing from Brazil to Bangladesh and the UK to Canada with various expertise including public partners, experts in systematic reviews, and health communicators.

Derek Stewart, Honorary Professor at University of Galway, Public Partner and member of The People's Review Steering Group, said: “The People’s Review is perhaps the first attempt ever to openly invite the public to identify a health topic for a research review. It shows how research is constantly trying to become more open and transparent. Secondly, it offers a practical opportunity to find out and learn about the different stages and parts of a health research review. It is also designed to be exploratory, interesting and enjoyable, so even if you know nothing about this world, you will be made most welcome by the whole team which includes researchers, reviewers, patients and members of the public. We look forward to learning together.”

Dr Sinéad Hynes  from the School of Health Sciences said: “The power of systematic reviews is extraordinary. Especially in a world where we are bombarded with information 24/7. Finding reliable sources to help make choices, especially health choices is more difficult than ever. The People's Review is an exciting opportunity opening up the world of health research to the wider public in a unique, and even a fun way! People from around the world can suggest a question about health that they want to find the answer to. The public will then vote on the People’s favourite question that we will answer through a systematic review.”

To learn more about The People's Review visit www.thepeoplesreview.ie or watch a video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY7wdD3yQR0. The team welcome any questions via email at thepeoplesreview@universityofgalway.ie, or follow on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Linkedin, and X.

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