Ask for Evidence: an empowering public-led campaign on health claims (360G-Wellcome-213222_Z_18_Z)

Ask for Evidence is an empowering public-led campaign with online support to encourage people to engage with health and research claims in the media, advertising, social networks and public statements. The campaign has reached over 50,000 people to date – in person and online – amid much wider publicity. It’s been Mumsnet campaign of the month, caused Network Rail to set out a study protocol for reducing suicides and prompted work on an evidence-hunting Scout badge. We will build on the success of two People awards, growing the campaign with citizen ambassadors and shareable resources to reach larger and new audiences, and achieve sufficient saturation to sustain its benefits across the UK. We will also draw insights from the way that people adopt Ask for Evidence. Early feedback indicates that people introduced to the campaign look differently at the claims around them and cascade aspects of that to colleagues, friends and family and other networks. Through public workshops we will assemble and evaluate these responses, and produce a public-led account with insights and guidance - for biomedical researchers who want to engage people beyond the science-interested and for bodies who seek a cascade effect from the projects they support.