scholarly journals Provoking Change in Researchers’ Roles: Using a Community-Based Research Approach to Address Research Needs in the Community

2011 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Holly L. Stack-Cutler

This article is based on a community-based research practicum conducted with a Headstart program in western Canada. The purpose of the text is to describe the progression of one researcher’s roles from inception to completion of a year-long research project while working in collaboration with a community partner. Following a brief review of principles of community-based research, a case study is used to show how principles were adhered to in a practicum. A variation of traditional role theory is introduced as a useful framework to navigate burgeoning researcher roles and role multiplicity. These are (a) researcher as researcher, (b) researcher as collaborator, (c) researcher as relationship builder, (d) researcher as teacher, and (e) researcher as learner. Considerations for ways to promote researchers—students and academics—to develop skills to correspond with changing researcher roles are presented, along with future directions to empirically examine researcher roles in community-based research.

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 323-328
Author(s):  
Sheri J. Brock ◽  
Danielle Wadsworth ◽  
Shelby Foote ◽  
Mary E. Rudisill

Institutions of higher education have a responsibility to prioritize the needs of society and local communities. One essential need prevalent in all communities is to address the rise of obesity and health risks due to lack of participation in physical activity. In the United States, children spend a small percentage of time engaged in physical activity, and engagement decreases further in adolescence and adulthood. Collaborative partnerships between kinesiology faculty at universities and community organizations are one avenue for engaging children in physical activity. Partnerships must be multilevel and community wide to evoke change and have long-term impact and sustainability. Within the context of community-based research, we propose a three-step framework for establishing collaborative partnerships: (1) determining the needs of partners; (2) discussing expertise, services, and philosophy; and (3) providing a quality product. In addition, we outline and illustrate our experiences when collaborating with community partners to promote physical activity.


2015 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-75
Author(s):  
William S. Walker

This article explores the shared intellectual tradition in folklore, public history, and oral history of involving students in community-based field research. This case study of the collaborative research New York State folklorist Harold W. Thompson and his students undertook in the 1930s contributes to ongoing efforts to enrich our understanding of public history’s genealogy. It also demonstrates that a counter-tradition to the “lone genius” model of humanities research emerged through faculty-student community-based research projects in history and folklore.


Author(s):  
Todd B. Ziegler ◽  
Chris M. Coombe ◽  
Zachary E. Rowe ◽  
Sarah J. Clark ◽  
Carina J. Gronlund ◽  
...  

Extreme summertime heat is a significant public health threat that disproportionately impacts vulnerable urban populations. Research on health impacts of climate change (including increasing intensity, duration, and frequency of hot weather) is sometimes designed and implemented without the involvement of the communities being studied, i.e., “community-placed” not “community-based.” We describe how the Heatwaves, Housing, and Health: Increasing Climate Resiliency in Detroit (HHH) partnership engaged relevant communities by integrating a community-based participatory research (CBPR) approach into an existing, academic-designed research project through a steering committee of community and academic partners. Using a case study approach, we analyze program documentation, partnership evaluation questionnaires, and HHH steering committee meeting notes. We describe the CBPR process by which we successfully collected research data in Detroit during summer 2016, engaged in collaborative analysis of data, and shared results with Detroit residents. Evaluations of the partnership over 2 years show community involvement in research; enhanced capacities; success in securing new grant funding; and ways that CBPR strengthened the validity, relevance, and translation of research. Engaging communities as equal partners using CBPR, even after a study is underway, can strengthen research to understand and address the impacts of extreme heat on health and equity in urban communities.


Author(s):  
Sarah L. Canham ◽  
Joe Humphries ◽  
Anthony L. Kupferschmidt ◽  
Emily Lonsdale

ABSTRACT The purpose of this study was to update our understandings of older adults’ experiences and perceptions of alcohol use. Taking a community-based research approach, three Knowledge Café workshops hosted 66 older adults and service providers in Vancouver, BC. Thematic analysis identified three overarching categories: (a) reasons older adults use alcohol, including out of habit, social expectations, or to self-medicate; (b) personal experiences of alcohol use, including reduced consumption over time as a result of the cost of alcohol, the physical effects, and increased knowledge about the effects of alcohol; and (c) older adults’ perceptions of alcohol use outcomes, including positive outcomes from drinking in moderation and negative outcomes that can worsen one’s health, lead to tolerance, and harm others. Developing and promoting healthy drinking behaviours in later life is needed as the general population continues to age.


2016 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine Wisener ◽  
Jennifer Shapka ◽  
Sandra Jarvis-Selinger

Despite evidence supporting the ongoing provision of health education interventions in First Nations communities, there is a paucity of research that specifically addresses how these programs should be designed to ensure sustainability and long-term effects. Using a Community-Based Research approach, a collective case study was completed with three Canadian First Nations communities to address the following research question: What factors are related to sustainable health education programs, and how do they contribute to and/or inhibit program success in an Aboriginal context? Semi-structured interviews and a sharing circle were completed with 19 participants, including members of community leadership, external partners, and program staff and users. Seven factors were identified to either promote or inhibit program sustainability, including: 1) community uptake; 2) environmental factors; 3) stakeholder awareness and support; 4) presence of a champion; 5) availability of funding; 6) fit and flexibility; and 7) capacity and capacity building. Each factor is provided with a working definition, influential moderators, and key evaluation questions. This study is grounded in, and builds on existing research, and can be used by First Nations communities and universities to support effective sustainability planning for community-based health education interventions.


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