Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice - Guidance on method choice and design

Oct 29, 2026

Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice provides guidance on selecting appropriate methods and designing participatory systems mapping studies. It introduces systems thinking and key participatory systems mapping methods, then presents a Participatory Systems Mapping Design Framework. The document integrates insights from a systematic scoping review and summarizes case studies, concluding with key messages and reflections relevant to population health decision-making.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages68

Reading Time2 h 51 min

AccessFree to download

Executive summary

Introduction

Systems thinking – introduction and overview

Participatory systems mapping methods – introduction and overview

Participatory Systems Mapping Design Framework

Key findings from a systematic scoping review

Summary of case studies

Key messages and reflections

Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice Guidance on method choice and design Authors: Ms Carolyn Blake 1*, Dr Benjamin P Rigby2*, Dr Roxanne Armstrong-Moore3 , Dr Peter BarbrookJohnson4 , Prof. Nigel Gilbert5 , Dr Mohammad Hassannezhad6 , Prof. Petra Meier1 , Prof. Kirstin R Mitchell 1 , Dr Alexandra Penn5 , Mr Ben Readman5 , Prof. Sharon A Simpson 1 , Prof. Martin White3 and Prof. Laurence Moore 1 . * Joint first authors Affiliations: 1 MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK. 2 Population Health Sciences Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK. 3 MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. 4 Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK. 5 Centre for the Evaluation of Complexity Across the Nexus, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. 6 School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK. Correspondence: Email: [carolyn.blake@glasgow.ac.uk](carolyn.blake@glasgow.ac.uk or)[ or](carolyn.blake@glasgow.ac.uk or) [benjamin.rigby@newcastle.ac.uk](benjamin.rigby@newcastle.ac.uk) Address: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Clarice Pears Building, 90 Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8TB. Published: January 2024. Report design: Aoife Madden. The development of this guidance document was funded by the UKRI Medical Research Council (SPHSU/MRC EU-Participatory Systems Mapping MC_PC_20039) . Additional time on the study was funded by further grants from UKRI MRC for BR, LM, SAS (MC_UU_ 00022/1); CB, KM (MC_UU_ 00022/3); PM (MC_UU_ 00022/5); and RAM, MW (MC_UU_ 00006/7) . Additional time on the study was also funded by grants from the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health Directorates for BR, LM, SAS (SPHSU16); CB, KM (SPHSU15); and PM (SPHSU20); and by a UKRI ESRC grant (ES/Y001907/1) for NG and AP. Please cite as follows: Blake, C & Rigby, B et al. (2024) Participatory systems mapping for population health research, policy and practice: guidance on method choice and design. Glasgow, UK: [University of Glasgow.](University of Glasgow. doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.316563)[ ](University of Glasgow. doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.316563)[doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.316563](University of Glasgow. doi.org/10.36399/gla.pubs.316563) Page 2 Contents Abbreviations 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 5 Executive summary 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 6 1 􀀮 Introduction 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 7 2 􀀮 Systems thinking – introduction and overview 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 11 3 􀀮 Participatory systems mapping methods – introduction and overview 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 15 4 􀀮 Participatory Systems Mapping Design Framework 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 34 5. Key findings from a systematic scoping review 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 55 6 􀀮 Summary of case studies 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 56 7. Key messages and reflections 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 58 Supplementary file 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 61 Appendices 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 61 Acknowledgments 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 62 References 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 64 Page 3 List of figures Fig 1. The five stages of guidance development 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 9 Fig 2 􀀮 Schematic illustration of the core components of a system map 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 15 Fig 3 􀀮 Timeline of key methodological developments in causal systems mapping 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 19 Fig 4 􀀮 Example of a systems-based Theory of Change diagram 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 20 Fig 5 􀀮 Example causal loop diagram 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮 􀀮

FAQs

What does the guidance document focus on?

It focuses on guidance for method choice and the design of participatory systems mapping in population health research, policy, and practice.

What major topics are covered in the document?

It covers systems thinking, an overview of participatory systems mapping methods, and a Participatory Systems Mapping Design Framework.

Does the document rely on review evidence and practical examples?

Yes. It includes key findings from a systematic scoping review and a summary of case studies, followed by key messages and reflections.

Oct 29, 2026

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