Opening the doors: reflections from public contributors on joining a conference

by Danielle Schoenaker, Isla Davis and public contributors Michelle and Zaman

Involving public contributors helps make sure studies are meaningful, relevant and grounded in lived experience.

Public contributors can be invited to attend academic conferences. But what do they get out of these experiences? And how can researchers support them better?

We work at the University of Southampton and NIHR Southampton Biomedical Research Centre. Our research looks at how people can be supported to plan and prepare for pregnancy and parenthood. This is often called 'preconception health'.

Public contributors are involved throughout this work. They help decide the research questions and advise on how to recruit participants. They also help make sense of the findings and shape the final conclusions.

This winter, we presented our work at the UK Preconception Early- and Mid-Career Researchers Conference in London. We invited members of our public involvement group to attend, either in person or online.

In total, 11 public contributors took part, including Michelle and Zaman. They all shared their thoughts on the experience.

What did public contributors gain from attending?

Public contributors described the conference as interesting, engaging and mostly easy to follow. Many said it helped them to see things in a new way.

Several people valued seeing the “bigger picture” of preconception health research, beyond the projects they were directly involved in. They realised their involvement is “one piece of a much larger puzzle”.

 “The day provided even greater context to everything I have participated in so far. I didn’t realise there were so many researchers working on the topic across the UK and internationally,” one said.

“It became clear to me that the medical community is really in need of Danielle’s project and eager to implement the results as soon as possible,” another commented. “This really helped me understand the importance of the input I’ve provided over the years.”

Others appreciated learning about preconception health from both scientific and practical points of view. Topics such as nutrition, alcohol use when planning a pregnancy, the importance of involving men, and raising awareness through health professionals and online tools were especially interesting.

Some people described having “lightbulb moments.” They realised how important everyday healthy behaviours - such as eating well, staying active and avoiding harmful substances - are for long-term health and prevention.

“It was interesting to hear about the importance of reducing or avoiding alcohol while trying to get pregnant, and how it can affect pregnancy,” one said.

“I didn’t realise how difficult it is to shift the norm from thinking preconception health is only relevant to women,” another added. “We’ve talked about this in our group which includes several men - seeing the wider challenge was eye-opening.”

For some contributors, the conference felt personally meaningful.

“As someone who would like to have kids someday, this was such an important way to learn about planning for pregnancy and preconception health,” they said.

“I filled a whole notebook with new knowledge that I can use and also share with my sisters and friends who would like to have a baby one day or are currently pregnant.”

People also spoke about how valuable it was to connect with researchers and with other public contributors. The friendly atmosphere, manageable room size, and open discussions helped everyone feel part of the same team, working towards a shared goal.

One contributor said their trust in the research team had grown over time. Seeing how their feedback had shaped the research made them feel “valued, privileged, and grateful” to be part of the research journey. Others shared similar feelings.

Travel costs and reimbursement were also highlighted as important, as this support makes it easier for people to take part, and helps make conferences more inclusive.

What was challenging?

Public contributors also shared some challenges.

Many said they felt welcomed and respected, and that presenters made an effort to explain their work clearly. One person said:

“I felt a bit nervous and hesitant in the beginning, but I realised the space was actually really comfortable and friendly, and I’m proud I was able to contribute, share my perspectives and ask questions.”

However, some presentations were harder to follow. They used a lot of acronyms or complex statistics. As one person said: “There were a lot of big words.”

This made some talks less accessible for people without a scientific background.

Those attending online felt there were fewer chances to ask questions. One contributor noted that: “Only one online question was selected.” This made them less likely to take part.

Even so, contributors said they found the conference really worthwhile and enjoyable.

How can future conferences be more inclusive?

Many contributors said they would like to attend similar events again, with several preferring to attend in person next time. Some were also interested in helping to organise future conferences or co-present the research.

They suggested several ways to improve future events:

• Printed materials to help people follow along

• Clearer slides with less information on each slide

• Simpler language, less jargon, and slower speaking

• Better sound quality and more chances for online questions

• More interactive sessions and discussion

• Support for networking and follow-up, including a debrief with the research team

These ideas show that public contributors want more than just to listen. They want to help shape how research is shared with the public.

“It was an amazing day,” one contributor said. “There was a lot of attention on how to create awareness about preconception health and I think this [attending the conference] is one of them. Invite the public to your conferences, they can just be spectators, they can also ask questions and even share perspectives.”

Final thoughts

These reflections show why it matters to invite public contributors into research spaces as partners, not just observers.

Their experiences and perspectives add depth to discussions and help make research more relevant.

One contributor wrote: “Thank you for inviting me and giving me the chance to learn more.”

By continuing to involve public contributors in meaningful ways, we can move beyond good intentions and build real partnerships.

Going forward, our team will work with contributors to plan future conferences, shape programme content and co-present research findings.

This will help ensure public voices are heard, not only in our research, but also in how we share it. It will create conferences and research programmes that are more inclusive, meaningful and useful for everyone.

Danielle, Michelle, Zaman and Isla would like to thank all public contributors who attended the conference and contributed to the reflections captured in this blog: Husna, Tanjida, Abdul, Nik, Finlay, Khadija, Chidiogo, Alima, Laura and Ruksana.

For more information, please contact Dr Danielle Schoenaker at D.Schoenaker@soton.ac.uk.