Improving how we use workshops when solving complex research problems: reflections from the CHANGE project

Organising workshops that successfully address complex research problems is a challenge, especially when the research involves interest-holders with diverse roles and expertise and potentially conflicting values and viewpoints. In this article, we describe and reflect on the approach we took to organising the CHANGE workshop, held in Oslo in June 2024. CHANGE is a complex 3-year project involving the collecting, analysing, and developing cross-sector consensus on a challenging topic. The approaches on which we reflect include fundamental aspects of interest-holder engagement, workshop design, methodological approach, and inclusive participation. Based on our reflections, we present a series of recommendations for consideration by anyone in the general research community using workshops as part of a research process.