Table 1 Overview of the methods, key activities and participants in each phase of the development process
Method type/date | Participants | Description of key activities |
|---|---|---|
Idea generation and exploratory prototypes | ||
 Review of existing resources February 2013 to September 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, SL, SR) | We searched for and reviewed existing mass media resources that teach the key concepts. |
 Idea generation workshop (participatory collaboration) February 2013 | Researchers, teachers and journalists from Indonesia, Nepal, Norway, Uganda and the UK | At the 3-day kick-off meeting for the project, the research team together with invited teachers and journalists (18 people) discussed which concepts to focus on and brainstormed about potential resources. |
 Prioritisation of key concepts (participatory collaboration) August 2013 | The journalists’ network in Uganda (25 journalists) [17] | At a 3-day workshop, the journalists assessed the relevance of a list of 32 key concepts to journalists and their audiences. |
 Prototyping workshop (facilitation and non-participatory observation) September 2013 | The journalists’ network in Uganda, (25 journalists) | This was a full-day workshop at which journalists brainstormed and created prototypes. |
 Idea generation meetings and prototyping (participatory collaboration) October 2013 to October 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We had a series of meetings during which we brainstormed. One idea was a service that would provide structured press releases, including application of the key concepts to a treatment claim. We prototyped one press release. Another was a wire service that would produce short stories that would explain key concepts to readers and listeners in the context of news about a specific treatment claim. We prototyped two examples of stories produced by such a news service; one as a print story and one as a radio programme. |
 Focus group feedback (focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews) October 2014 | Four media editors, a journalist and a health communication specialist. Four random members of the public | Structured press releases: The participants read the press release, and then provided feedback. |
 Focus group feedback (focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews) October 2014 | Four media editors, a journalist and a communication specialist. Four random members of the nonacademic public. | News service: The participants read or listened to each of the stories and then provided feedback. Following this, we interviewed three of the participants of the focus group discussion and each of the four members of the public |
 Semi-structured interviews October 2014 | Four members of the general public | The participants listened to and read the prototypes of the messages and provided feedback about the news service. Any problems identified were noted and followed up. |
 Analysis of findings and idea generation October 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We reviewed the feedback on the news service prototype and generated ideas to address the problems that we identified. |
Version 1. The Health Choices (radio) programme (v1) | ||
 V1 Development of a prototype October 2014 to April 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, MO, SL, SR) | We outlined plans for a series of what we initially thought of as a radio programme and prepared prototypes of two versions of the first episode; one using an interview format and one using a story format. |
 V1 User testing in Uganda, (semi-structured interviews) April 2015 | Two health journalists and four other members of the nonacademic public | Two versions of prototype 1 were tested in sequence. First, the participants listened to the first version of the prototype (1a) and provided early feedback. We then user-tested an alternative prototype (1b) of the same contents as the first with a story-based theme. Prototype 1b was partly based on early feedback from the testing of prototype 1a. |
 V1 Analysis and idea generation for V2 May 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AO, CG, DS, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We analysed the feedback and discussed findings from the user testing and feedback on the first version of the IHC podcast and generated ideas to address the problems that were identified. |
Version 2. The IHC podcast (v2) | ||
 Interviews with parents to identify relevant claims (semi-structured interviews) March–April 2015 | 30 parents | We interviewed parents to identify health conditions and treatments that were relevant to them. |
 V2 Development of the second complete prototype June to August 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, actors, journalists and parents of primary school children | We prepared a series of nine episodes targeted at the parents of primary school children in Uganda. MO prepared a script for each episode, which was edited by DS and AO, and other team members provided feedback. A professional radio producer and actors produced the episodes. |
 V2 User testing and piloting in Uganda (semi-structured interviews) September to December 2015 | 28 parents and 7 research assistants | 28 parents listened to the podcast. We interviewed them after they listened to each episode. With the help of the parents and research assistants, we also piloted a method for delivering the podcast to the parents in areas where they live and work, collecting feedback on the method and technologies used. |
 V2 Analysis and idea generation for V3 December 2015 to January 2016 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MM, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, journalists and parents. | We entered the findings into a Google spreadsheet. For each finding, AN, AO, DS, MM, MO and SR coded its importance (very important, important or less important); whether it was a problem, an idea or positive feedback; and whether it applied to the entire podcast, a specific episode or was a repeat of a previous finding. The findings were summarised for the research team and the major findings and plans for the third version, and the community trial were discussed and agreed. |
Version 3. The final IHC podcast (v3) | ||
 V3 Development of the final podcast January to March 2016 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MM, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, actors, musicians, parents of primary school children, other members of the general public | MO prepared new scripts, which were edited by DS and AO. Other team members provided feedback. DS translated scripts to Luganda. DS, AN, AO prepared the lyrics to the theme song. Other members provided feedback. A professional musician was commissioned to edit the lyrics and produce the song. A professional radio producer and actors produced the episodes. DS, AN, AO and MO reviewed the produced episodes and suggested edits to the production. |
 Review of existing resources February 2013 to September 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, SL, SR) | We searched for and reviewed existing mass media resources that teach the key concepts. |
 Idea generation workshop (participatory collaboration) February 2013 | Researchers, teachers and journalists from Indonesia, Nepal, Norway, Uganda and the UK | At the 3-day kick-off meeting for the project, the research team together with invited teachers and journalists (18 people) discussed which concepts to focus on and brainstormed about potential resources. |
 Prioritisation of key concepts (participatory collaboration) August 2013 | The journalists’ network in Uganda (25 journalists) [17] | At a 3-day workshop, the journalists assessed the relevance of a list of 32 key concepts to journalists and their audiences. |
 Prototyping workshop (facilitation and non-participatory observation) September 2013 | The journalists’ network in Uganda, (25 journalists) | This was a full-day workshop at which journalists brainstormed and created prototypes. |
 Idea generation meetings and prototyping (participatory collaboration) October 2013 to October 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We had a series of meetings during which we brainstormed. One idea was a service that would provide structured press releases, including application of the key concepts to a treatment claim. We prototyped one press release. Another was a wire service that would produce short stories that would explain key concepts to readers and listeners in the context of news about a specific treatment claim. We prototyped two examples of stories produced by such a news service; one as a print story and one as a radio programme. |
 Focus group feedback (focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews) October 2014 | Four media editors, a journalist and a health communication specialist. Four random members of the public | Structured press releases: The participants read the press release, and then provided feedback. |
 Focus group feedback (focus group discussion and semi-structured interviews) October 2014 | Four media editors, a journalist and a communication specialist. Four random members of the nonacademic public. | News service: The participants read or listened to each of the stories and then provided feedback. Following this, we interviewed three of the participants of the focus group discussion and each of the four members of the public |
 Semi-structured interviews October 2014 | Four members of the general public | The participants listened to and read the prototypes of the messages and provided feedback about the news service. Any problems identified were noted and followed up. |
 Analysis of findings and idea generation October 2014 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We reviewed the feedback on the news service prototype and generated ideas to address the problems that we identified. |
Version 1. The Health Choices (radio) programme (v1) | ||
 V1 Development of a prototype October 2014 to April 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, MO, SL, SR) | We outlined plans for a series of what we initially thought of as a radio programme and prepared prototypes of two versions of the first episode; one using an interview format and one using a story format. |
 V1 User testing in Uganda (semi-structured interviews) April 2015 | Two health journalists and four other members of the nonacademic public | Two versions of prototype 1 were tested in sequence. First, the participants listened to the first version of the prototype (1a) and provided early feedback. We then user-tested an alternative prototype (1b) of the same contents as the first with a story-based theme. Prototype 1b was partly based on early feedback from the testing of prototype 1a. |
 V1 Analysis and idea generation for V2 May 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AO, CG, DS, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) | We analysed the feedback and discussed findings from the user testing and feedback on the first version of the IHC podcast and generated ideas to address the problems that were identified. |
Version 2. The IHC podcast (v2) | ||
 Interviews with parents to identify relevant claims (semi-structured interviews) March–April 2015 | 30 parents | We interviewed parents to identify health conditions and treatments that were relevant to them. |
 V2 Development of the second complete prototype June to August 2015 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, MK, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, actors, journalists and parents of primary school children | We prepared a series of nine episodes targeted at the parents of primary school children in Uganda. MO prepared a script for each episode, which was edited by DS and AO and other team members provided feedback. A professional radio producer and actors produced the episodes. |
 V2 User testing and piloting in Uganda (semi-structured interviews) September to December 2015 | 28 parents and 7 research assistants | 28 parents listened to the podcast. We interviewed them after they listened to each episode. With the help of the parents and research assistants, we also piloted a method for delivering the podcast to the parents in areas where they live and work, collecting feedback on the method and technologies used. |
 V2 Analysis and idea generation for V3 December 2015 to January 2016 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MM, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, journalists and parents. | We entered the findings into a Google spreadsheet. For each finding, DS, AN, AO, MM, MO and SR coded its importance (very important, important or less important); whether it was a problem, an idea or positive feedback; and whether it applied to the entire podcast, a specific episode or was a repeat of a previous finding. The findings were summarised for the research team and the major findings and plans for the third version, and the community trial were discussed and agreed. |
Version 3. The final IHC podcast (v3) | ||
 V3 Development of the final podcast January to March 2016 | The research team (AA, AM, AN, AO, CG, DS, LN, MK, MM, MO, NS, SL, SR) Radio producer, actors, musicians, parents of primary school children, other members of the general public | MO prepared new scripts, which were edited by DS and AO. Other team members provided feedback. DS translated scripts to Luganda. DS, AN, AO prepared the lyrics to the theme song. Other members provided feedback. A professional musician was commissioned to edit the lyrics and produce the song. A professional radio producer and actors produced the episodes. DS, AN, AO and MO reviewed the produced episodes and suggested edits to the production. |