Chapter 10 - At the nexus of participatory design and action research: Use of a public online forum in designing text messages for dads

Abstract

This chapter describes the process of developing a corpus of evidence-based mobile messages for expectant and recent fathers using an approach blending principles of participatory action and participatory design research. Launched in the summer of 2015, the Text4Dads initiative aimed to increase engagement and involvement of expectant/recent fathers through a mobile-messaging intervention. The first phase of the project involved developing a public online forum inviting stakeholders in fatherhood work (fathers, health practitioners, community workers, government agency contacts, academicians, etc.) to comment on proposed content for a series of mobile messages to be sent to fathers before and after their child was born. The chapter will focus on the two methodologies informing engagement with fatherhood stakeholders in this phase—participatory action research and participatory research design—as well as the themes emerging from online forum participation.