Group concept mapping: An interactive consensus method to understand impact in health and social care research

This workshop has been recorded.

Contact wsspr@southwales.ac.uk if you have any questions about this workshop

Background

Group Concept Mapping (GCM) is a mixed-methods approach which allows researchers to generate consensus with stakeholders and participants in both workshop and online formats. GCM involves three study phases; brainstorming, sorting and rating.

The GCM group at University of South Wales and PRIME Centre Wales have used GCM in studies about social prescribing, family resilience, wellbeing, compassionate care and complex care.

Aim

This workshop aims to introduce delegates to GCM by taking them through the process of conducting a GCM study from both the researcher and participant perspective, and will demonstrate the utility of this method in a variety of contexts.

The workshop

Delegates will first be introduced to the method, before engaging in three 10-minute interactive study phases based on an example study “Using consensus methods to develop a Social Prescribing Learning Needs Framework for practitioners in Wales” (Wallace et al., 2020). The researchers will explain how findings are analysed and can be interpreted and used by researchers, practitioners, commissioners and policy makers. Delegates will discuss potential applications of GCM in their own research areas.

The workshop will be led by Professor Carolyn Wallace and Professor David Pontin, and supported by trained GCM facilitators from the USW GCM group.

Impact

GCM is a versatile method which can be used in a range of health and social care research settings to explore challenges, impact, solutions and develop practical frameworks.