Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) is a graphic technique used to describe causal relationships and understand complex systems. This practice review summarizes the experiences of participatory research specialists and trainees who applied FCM to incorporate stakeholder views in addressing health challenges. The review covers 25 experiences from nine countries between 2016 and 2023, focusing on the methods, challenges, and adjustments in participatory research practice. FCM combines multiple sources of knowledge, including stakeholder knowledge, systematic literature reviews, and survey data. Methodological advances include techniques to contrast and combine maps from different sources using Bayesian procedures, protocols to enhance data collection quality, and tools for facilitating analysis. Summary graphs are used to facilitate stakeholder discussions on the most important relationships. FCM is used not as predictive models but to surface and share perspectives on how change can occur and to inform dialogue. The analysis includes simple manual techniques and sophisticated computer-based solutions, demonstrating the flexibility of FCM for different contexts and skill levels. The review highlights the importance of a strong core procedure to contribute to more robust applications of FCM and adapting it for different research settings. Decision-making often involves choosing among plausible interventions in an uncertain context, and FCM offers systematic and traceable ways to document, contrast, and sometimes combine perspectives, incorporating stakeholder experience and causal models to inform decisions. Different depths of FCM analysis open opportunities for applying the technique in skill-limited settings.Fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM) is a graphic technique used to describe causal relationships and understand complex systems. This practice review summarizes the experiences of participatory research specialists and trainees who applied FCM to incorporate stakeholder views in addressing health challenges. The review covers 25 experiences from nine countries between 2016 and 2023, focusing on the methods, challenges, and adjustments in participatory research practice. FCM combines multiple sources of knowledge, including stakeholder knowledge, systematic literature reviews, and survey data. Methodological advances include techniques to contrast and combine maps from different sources using Bayesian procedures, protocols to enhance data collection quality, and tools for facilitating analysis. Summary graphs are used to facilitate stakeholder discussions on the most important relationships. FCM is used not as predictive models but to surface and share perspectives on how change can occur and to inform dialogue. The analysis includes simple manual techniques and sophisticated computer-based solutions, demonstrating the flexibility of FCM for different contexts and skill levels. The review highlights the importance of a strong core procedure to contribute to more robust applications of FCM and adapting it for different research settings. Decision-making often involves choosing among plausible interventions in an uncertain context, and FCM offers systematic and traceable ways to document, contrast, and sometimes combine perspectives, incorporating stakeholder experience and causal models to inform decisions. Different depths of FCM analysis open opportunities for applying the technique in skill-limited settings.