We are patient research partners on behalf of the German Rheumatism League (Deutsche Rheuma-Liga), the largest German self-help organization in the health sector representing 270.000 members affected from different rheumatic diseases. As patient research partners, we participate as interested and committed patients in all phases of a research project. In a training course run by the German Rheumatism League, we were trained on topics such as research directions, methods and questions, types of studies, the process of research projects and ways of obtaining scientific information. Our expertise is that of the patient with lived knowledge by own experience (lived experience) and from this perspective we provide additional insights into  research.