Civil society organisations (CSOs) can participate in health research and policy in a variety of ways. As with other complex socio-political interventions, replicating participation methods across contexts, in the same way and to the same effect, is clearly impracticable, if not impossible. However, an overarching understanding of participation processes, effects and explanatory principles is required to inform policy, strategic action and further research. This paper reviews organising frameworks and explanatory principles in the literature, which could inform the design and evaluation of CSO participation with health research and policy, and in wider social development contexts.