What's this about?

Intervention development and evaluation is generally considered a methodology rather than a specific research field. The volume of methods are vast and each discipline (e.g. public health, psychology, education, social work and so on) has their own preferred methodologies based on their own field.

But why is there a lack of knowledge exchange between disciplines who are using similar methods? By improving communication and collaboration for those who share a common intervention development/evaluation methodology, we can all increase the skills and knowledge at our disposal to create real change in our field.

This workshop aims to provide an introduction to multidisciplinary methods of intervention development and evaluation. The overall goals of the workshop are as follows:

1. Learn about different intervention development and evaluation techniques from a multidisciplinary perspective and how to include them in your own pragmatic ‘toolkit’;

2. Receive feedback on your own intervention research from peers and experts;

3. Form a network with early academics working with similar methods.

Who can attend?

This workshop is targeted towards postgrads and early career researchers working in intervention/programme development and evaluation, in any field or research topic. However, anyone who is interested may register. It is hosted by PhD students at the University of Edinburgh and Strathclyde.

What will happen on 17 October?

Outline of the workshop:

09:00-09:30: Registration, coffee and networking (optional).

09:30-09:45: Introductions.

09:45-10:30: Professor Ruth Jepson of the Scottish Collaboration for Public Health and Policy, University of Edinburgh (Topic: Public health intervention development and co-production).

10:30-10:45: Break for refreshments.

10:45-11:30: Mr Greg Brown of the Widening Participation Research and Evaluation Unit, University of Sheffield (Topic: Evaluative methodologies in Widening Participation/Higher Education research).

11:30-12:15: Dr Crispin Day of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Research Unit of the NHS South London and Maudsley Trust (Topic: Practical and evidence-based methods in child and adolescent mental health services).

12:15-13:00: Networking lunch.

13:00-13:45: Panel discussion about choosing best intervention approach.

13:45-15:00: Attendee presentation and feedback session. This 75-minute session of the workshop is an opportunity for you to present an intervention development or evaluation plan you are currently working on (at any stage of development!) and to receive multidisciplinary feedback from other attendees and the expert speakers. Your presentation would be 5-10 minutes long (PowerPoint slides optional) and in small groups. Presentation during this session is recommended but not compulsory for the workshop.

15:00-15:15: Break for refreshments.

15:15-15:45: Larger group discussion about the future of multidisciplinary methods in intervention development and evaluation.

15:45-16:00: Closing remarks.

Registration details:

Please indicate if you want to present during the afternoon presentation and feedback session while registering. Again, this is an excellent opportunity to receive multidisciplinary feedback from peers and the expert speakers, but participation is optional for workshop attendees. Audrey will contact you one-week prior to the workshop with further details about the presentation session if you are presenting.

Please indicate while registering if you have any dietary requirements.

If you have any specific questions about the workshop, please contact workshop facilitator Audrey Buelo at Audrey.Buelo@ed.ac.uk.