This tool was developed by participants in the Family Engagement in Research (FER) course in 2024 by Simone West, Caroline Kiefer, Rohan Symonds, Rebecca Buckland, and Joanne Kershaw.

Authentic Co-Design is a tool designed to inform and guide researchers in how they engage and include families in research.

This tool uses a Linktree design, whereby questions are posed to researchers related to seven fundamental considerations of authentic co-design.

Are families included in:

1. Identification of meaningful research
2. Project design
3. Establishing project priorities, goals and roles
4. Recruitment and data collection
5. Analysis and write up
6. Dissemination of findings
7. Evaluation of their experience as a project team member

When an individual link is activated, a researcher is then directed to a precis of the basic information associated with that individual link. Access to references and further resources is available via links inset at the end of each summary. A researcher may move between links to attain an overarching understanding of how to respectfully engage families in research.