At the heart of this guide is a simple principle: people whose lives are shaped by the issues should help shape the research. It focuses on working with people with lived expertise as co-researchers, not only as participants or advisors, but as active partners involved in shaping, carrying out, and communicating research alongside university researchers.

Drawing on our experiences from the Safety Nets project, this guide shares practical guidance, reflections, and examples from collaboratively designing workshops, facilitating discussions, and conducting research together.