SLIDE 1
Dos and Don’ts of Community-Based Research: University Researcher Perspective
Rachel Engler-Stringer, Associate Professor Community Health and Epidemiology University of Saskatchewan
SLIDE 2 Key Principles
§ Participation without intent § Long-term relationship building § Answering questions community partners are asking/figuring out the
“academic angle” if needed
§ Not being a draw on resources/contributing to the organization § Creativity in support for organizations
SLIDE 3
Participation without intent
§ Attend community events § Volunteer § Chop the onions!
SLIDE 4
Long-term relationship building
§ Try to build relationships that go beyond one
project, even if it means your students carry on the relationships for you.
§ Be available!
SLIDE 5
Answering questions community partners are asking/Figuring out the “academic angle”
§ Listen, state willingness to hear their challenges
and their questions
§ Keep them in mind as encounter students, get
invited to join research teams or create your own research teams
§ If problems are very practice based you might need
to think through an academic angle, but it’s not usually difficult
SLIDE 6 Not being a draw on resources/Contributing to the organization
§ Community organizations do not have dollars/free
labour to put towards your research and don’t expect them to work with you for free (unless you are actually doing work for them)
§ Figure out how you can give at least as much to the
- rganization as you are receiving from them
§ Paying for staff time, providing (student) volunteer
hours (but be careful this isn’t more work than it’s worth)…
SLIDE 7
Creativity in support for organizations
§ Have frank conversations about the resources CBO
staff put towards working with you and encourage creative planning for how to compensate for this time.
§ Second CBO staff to work with you on project that
is mutually beneficial – budget for this!
§ If students (or you) are working with community,
ensure that they respond regularly and generously with in-service presentations, analyzing small amounts of data, etc
SLIDE 8
Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 2017
SLIDE 9
Questions?
SLIDE 10 Group Discussion Questions
§ What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in
doing CBR either as a researcher or as a community member (including CBO) – and how have you
§ Biggest mistakes made by researchers trying to
engage in community-based research?
§ Biggest mistakes made by communities trying to
engage in community-based research (with academics)?
