THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Community-Engaged Research
Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) seeks to incorporate community stakeholders and needs throughout the research process – it includes a large continuum of research processes with varying levels of community participation. Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is one popular example of CEnR which aims to share responsibility equitably amongst all partners and grants equal decision-making power to community and academic stakeholders.[1]
Find the full PDF guide here.
The following six principles should guide all community-engaged research:[2]
- Avoidance of Harm: researchers should understand the broader context of this research and its potential consequences and actively avoid harming communities
- Shared Power in Decision-Making: equity should be prioritized in decision-making, and participatory governance structures must be established at the start of research
- Transparency: researchers should openly and transparently communicate with community partners throughout the research process
- Mutual Accountability: teams should collaboratively establish responsibilities and decision-making processes, prioritizing respect in all discussions
- Accessibility: researchers should provide equitable compensation to community partners and participants, along with allowing for flexibility and adaptation
- Capacity-Bridging: researchers should think of the sustainable value of their community partnerships and prioritize community capacity building
Community-Engaged Research | Community-Based Participatory Research | |
Research Objective | Community input in identifying locally relevant issues | Full participation of community in identifying issues of greatest importance |
Study Design | Researchers work with community to ensure study design is culturally acceptable | Community directly involved with study design |
Recruitment | Researchers consult with community on recruitment and retention strategies | Community representatives provide guidance on strategies and aid in recruitment |
Instrument Design | Instruments adopted from other studies & tested/adapted to fit local populations | Instruments developed with community input and tested in similar populations |
Data Collection | Community members involved in some aspects of data collection | Conducted by members of the community, to the extent possible, with focus on capacity building |
Analysis | Academic researchers share results of analysis with community members for comment | Data is shared; community members work with academic researchers to interpret results |
Dissemination | Results disseminated in community venues as well as peer-reviewed journals | Community members assist academic researchers to identify appropriate venues and community members are involved in dissemination |
- Take time to speak to community members and leaders prior to defining your research questions and objectives. Come in with an idea of your research project, but be open to refining and rethinking it based on community feedback. University of Kansas’ “Assessing Community Needs and Resources” toolkit provides detailed guidance on collaborative analysis of community needs.
- Understand how your proposed research fits into the historical and contemporary contexts of the community. Be mindful of any harm your research could cause and keep in mind trauma and negative consequences associated with past research in this community. If the community has worked with researchers in the past, inquire of their experiences. This can prevent replicating collaborations that are exploitative.
- If this is your first exposure to community-engaged research, consider exploring training and courses, such as CITI’s Community-Engaged and Community-Based Participatory Research courses. Also, contact colleagues who have conducted CBPR and learn how they have approached communities.
- Consider what community organizations or institutions are doing work related to your research interest. Research what groups have already collaborated with university researchers and utilize existing relationships. University of Chicago’s Office of Civic Engagement is a great starting point to explore existing community collaboration and resources. Explore Urban Institute’s Fostering Partnerships for Community Engagement Toolkit for further resources.
- Reflect on your individual and institutional positionality as a researcher working within your selected community. Take conscious action to trace your own motives for working in this community and your intentions.
- Build in extra time throughout the process and set a realistic timeline. Remember that community-engaged research generally requires a longer timeframe than other research projects of similar scope.[3] Be aware that communities have needs that they have to prioritize, and are responsible to address which may or may not influence the research process and progression.
- Collaborate with community stakeholders to define desired outcomes and metrics of success and incorporate these into your research proposal. Evaluation of your research should be defined collaboratively and in centering community voices.
- Include community stakeholders in the various steps of research, creating opportunities for their feedback on the research process. Be open to changes to your research process based on their feedback.
- Host an event in collaboration with community partners to share your research findings. This event should be accessible and findings should be conveyed in plain language.
- Develop partnership agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) to clearly define the scope of your engagement. Have transparent conversations with community members to determine consensus on data sharing, research dissemination, and responsibilities. Community Research Collaborative provides a useful template for developing partnership agreements.
- Establish governance structures that aim for genuine participation. Strive to eliminate power hierarchies and prioritize equitable decision-making. Clearly delineate roles and responsibilities with community partners.
- Ensure that your research truly benefits the community. Ask yourself what will the community gain from participation beyond the research partnership? Discuss with your community partners what the benefits will be and how you will achieve them as you partner in the research process.
- Create equitable compensation plans to ensure that your community partners are properly compensated for their time and labor. The Urban Institute’s Equitable Compensation Plan Toolkit is a great starting point for thinking about this.
NORC Community-Engaged Research Framework: details an evidence-based framework for effective community-engaged research and key principles
Urban Institute Community Engaged and Participatory Methods Toolkit: offers several detailed toolkits for conducting community-engaged research, on topics including applying CEnR to various research methods, driving racial equity, and conducting trauma-informed research or participatory research with sensitive populations
University of Chicago Office of Civic Engagement: offers resources on community engagement, further assistance in kickstarting research processes, and information on recent community partnerships with the university
UCSF Prevention Science Community Engaged Research Toolbox: compiles public health-oriented and general resources on community-engaged research, including webinars, sample formal documents, and toolkits
Arnold School of Public Health: offers comprehensive resources focused on topics such as CBPR, assessing community needs, evaluation, and effective leadership
University of Kansas Community Toolbox: provides extensive resources on every stage of the community-engaged research process through this detailed, multi-chapter toolkit