NatCen Launches Centre for Deliberative Research

In the UK, the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen) is launching a Centre for Deliberative Research, which will officially open next Wednesday with an online event.

NatCen carries out research into all areas of social policy, including health, crime, education, employment, travel, social attitudes and families. Led by qualitative social researcher Ceri Davies (pictured), the new centre brings together expertise in participatory research methods and public engagement across a range of policy areas. It will focus on research that uncovers attitudes after citizens have been provided with evidence and an opportunity to discuss the issues from different perspectives, as well as projects that enable the public to be involved in policy development or decision-making.

Alongside policy-facing work, the centre will address gaps in deliberative methodology and provide new thinking on how deliberative research can respond to big societal questions now and in the future. The launch of the new Centre follows on from NatCen's delivery of the UK's first completely online deliberative poll in 2019, and a second in 2020. Conducted in collaboration with Stanford University, the research enabled more than 380 members of the British public to explore post-Brexit policy via videoconferencing.

The online launch event, featuring a panel of experts, will ask, 'Where are we now and what next for online deliberative methods?' Guy Goodwin, CEO of NatCen, comments: 'Through our research, NatCen conveys the public's voice to those in power and with influence. The new centre will position us as a leader in public engagement and participatory research, continuing our innovative work in this area and providing crucial insight into policy problems that are contested, complex or uncertain'.

Web site: www.natcen.ac.uk .