Research

Volunteer writers

Volunteer writers compose literature review-style articles on topics related to People Know How and the third sector. Writers gain valuable experience in academic writing and collaborating closely with an editor. Final research briefings are published in our database and can be listed as publications in CVs.

Volunteer writer recruitment takes place over the summer ahead of the academic year.


  • Research and write three briefings over the academic year
  • Collaborate with editors and staff
  • Support the community
  • Obtain credit as writer of publications

Volunteer editors

Volunteer editors ensure the accuracy, consistency and quality of articles created by volunteer writers. From correcting typographical errors and grammatical mistakes, to ensuring the content is consistent with our style guide, this unique volunteering role is an opportunity to gain valuable field experience in editing.

Volunteer editor recruitment takes place over the summer ahead of the academic year.


  • Edit six briefings over the academic year
  • Collaborate with writers and staff
  • Support the community
  • Obtain credit as editor of publications

Research and social innovation

At People Know How we used research to link academic literature to our own findings from consultations and action in the community. We engaged in various pieces of research, ranging from large projects in partnership with universities, to research articles written by our VIPs and staff.

We ran two multi-disciplinary research projects in partnership with the University of Edinburgh, through which PhD students worked closely with us to map the pathways to improving practice across agencies and inform developments in policy. Findings from the projects aimed to influence and improve these social issues across Scotland, exploring intersecting issues such as class, ethnicity, gender, culture and disability, and informing our campaigning work and government policy. The projects linked with our strategic aims and services, focusing on:

  • Digital inclusion
  • School transitions