# Participant Engagement, Epistemic Injustice, and Early‐Phase Implanted Neural Device Research

## TL;DR

The paper argues that participants in neural device research should have their knowledge valued to avoid epistemic injustice.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is framing participant engagement through the lens of participatory epistemic justice in neural device research.

## Key findings

- Participants should be key knowledge contributors in implanted neurotech research.
- Engagement efforts must actively incorporate participant insights to avoid epistemic injustice.

## Abstract

In recent years, participant engagement initiatives in research on implanted neural devices have significantly increased. However, there remains little consensus on the motivations, goals, and best practices for engagement efforts. Drawing on the concept of participatory epistemic injustice, we argue that one core ethical motivation for engagement is epistemic in nature. Based on their subject positions, participants should be key knowledge contributors to implanted neurotech research. Therefore, we argue, participants experience participatory epistemic injustice when their insights do not result in changes to or otherwise influence research protocols, device development, and task design. We contend that engagement can resist this type of injustice only if it establishes robust methods not only to gather but also to actively incorporate participant knowledge into the research and development process.