“We're supposed to serve the wider community.” A qualitative study exploring researchers’ perceptions and attitudes toward engagement in health research.

Background Public and community engagement has recently emerged as an important sphere of global health research. Recent engagement framework emphasises dialogic and participatory approaches that foster mutual learning between researchers and communities, reflecting a shift in research practice toward greater inclusivity, accountability, and responsiveness to societal needs. To contribute to evidence on the impact of engagement in health research, we conducted formative research to examine how researchers conceptualise engagement, perceive the value and impact of engagement, and navigate the practical challenges of implementation within complex research environments. Methods We used qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with researchers from four sites of Oxford University Clinical Research Units in Vietnam, Indonesia, and Nepal. Results Public and community engagement was valued by researchers in all career stages. Researchers’ understanding of engagement was often framed by the target audience, while their motivations encompassed both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Intrinsic motivations were linked to altruistic values, including a sense of researchers’ responsibility to make science accessible to the community, improve public knowledge and counter misinformation. Extrinsic motivations referred to the practical benefits of engagement for research, including increased institutional visibility, strengthened stakeholders trust, enhanced study recruitment and retention, and identified future research opportunities. Integration of engagement activities into health research were constrained by personal, institutional, and structural challenges, including low confidence in conducting activities, a lack of strategic engagement frameworks, limited funding, and a misalignment between community and researchers’ interests. Conclusion This study provides insights to inform the development of effective, context-appropriate strategies for embedding engagement within research systems. Continued investment in engagement infrastructure, methodological guidance, researcher support, and evaluation capacity, alongside establishing funding schemes for pre-study engagement could strengthen the integration of engagement across the research lifecycle and embed it more firmly within global health research practices.