CARDS logo

The Community Advisors on Research Design and Strategies (CARDS)® experience is a unique and exciting way to get valuable, candid feedback on how to make materials clearer, more engaging and easier to read for people in your project. The CARDS® service is valuable for any research or project that involves people (“human subjects”). These meetings currently take place on Zoom, so are accessible to research teams in any part of the country.

Since 2010, WINRS staff have coordinated hundreds of meetings at local community centers between clients and the CARDS®, who provide unique feedback on a variety of project materials, including:

  • recruitment materials and strategies
  • survey and focus group questions
  • intervention design
  • content and usability of websites, mobile apps
Who are the CARDS®?

Community center staff recruit members from center programs such as senior meals, women’s groups, food pantries, and parenting programs. CARDS® members complete an orientation program and draw on their lived experiences to offer researchers actionable feedback on a wide range of project plans and materials. The CARDS® bring valuable perspectives from diverse racial, socioeconomic, and educational backgrounds.

What does the CARDS® service involve?

Before the meeting, WINRS staff works with research teams to identify their priority questions and prepare a strategic meeting agenda. Researchers and/or their team members participate in the meeting, while WINRS manages all meeting logistics, facilitates CARDS® sessions, and captures group discussion. After the meeting, WINRS prepares and delivers detailed feedback reports with fully revised materials based on input from CARDS. The document below provides a quick overview of the process for a CARDS® meeting and the services we provide to clients before, during and after each meeting.

CARDS® Process

Learn more with these videos:

Researchers share how the CARDS® made an impact on their research projects

Hear what CARDS have to say about the impact of their work