Public Involvement and Engagement in Big Data Research: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Data Science
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Public support is essential for the success of big data initiatives.
• Public involvement and engagement can foster this necessary support for big data research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize existing evidence on public involvement and engagement in big data research.
• To identify methods, participants, and outcomes associated with public engagement in this field.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted, searching five electronic databases.
• Additional searches in Google Scholar and gray literature were performed.
• Two public contributors participated throughout the review process.

Main Results:

• Fifty-three papers were included in the review.
• The review identified diverse methods for public involvement and engagement in big data research.
• Key findings detail who can be involved, the importance of context, and potential outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The review offers an overview of current evidence on public involvement and engagement in big data research.
• Findings illustrate practical implementation strategies and potential benefits, despite reliance on discussion papers.
• Further research is recommended to optimize public engagement in big data initiatives.