Methodological Principles and Research Practices

1. Methodological Principles and Research Practices CBR Faculty Fellows Program Presented by: Brenda MarstellerKowalewski September 16, 2009

2. Objectives • Outline the ideal principles of CBR and discuss how they translate to a real CBR project. • Collaboration • Democratization of knowledge • Social Justice • Outline the steps in CBR practices and identify any special considerations necessary in a CBR project as opposed to traditional research.

3. Collaboration – Ideal • Community is involved in each stage and phase of the CBR project • Identifying the research question • Choosing a research design and method • Collecting the data • Analyzing the data • Reporting the results

4. Collaboration – Real • Full collaboration is not often achieved • Working with grassroots orgs – often unorganized • Working with one step up from grassroots • CBR in the middle • Agencies are more organized, leadership established but puts more distance between researcher and the organization’s clients • Bare minimum for collaboration • Defining research focus and question • How and if the results will be used

5. Collaboration – Real • Family Self Sufficiency Program – Ogden Housing Authority • Handout – book chapter

6. Democratization of Knowledge – Ideal • CBR makes professors, students and community members all knowledge producers • Use mixed research methods – quote p. 78 • CBR insists on connectedness and relationship building; distance increases inaccuracy

7. Democratization of Knowledge – Real • Researchers often struggle because of our training in traditional research and within our disciplines • CBR challenges traditional conceptions of expertise and objectivity • CBR neither recognizes nor respects rigid disciplinary boundaries – real problems don’t fit neatly into any one discipline

8. Social Justice – Ideal • CBR seeks to “contribute to altering some aspects of the political, social, or economic institutional operations or cultural context that give rise to a problem” – p. 81 • Challenge the status quo

9. Social Justice – Real • Change is often times small • Whereas research may be the focus of the researcher, it is only one small part of a bigger project for the community. • Creating or affecting social change is difficult and knowledge is only one of the resources necessary to create any change

10. Social Justice – Real • Researchers have a hard time translating their findings into action. • Youth Impact example • Roles of the Researcher in Social Change (p. 84) • Initiator – manages the social change project as well as the research • *Consultant – manages the research only, and from a distance • Collaborator – Is a full participant in social change project, but primarily as researcher or educator *Most researchers

11. Research Opportunities in Social Change Process • Step One – Choosing a problem • Specifying what the range of problems might be or extent of a problem; example Youth Impact research • Step Two – Identifying resources and solutions • Research on what resources already exist or researching solutions or models • Step Three – Developing a plan • Introspective research where a group analyzes itself • Step Four – Implementing the plan • Research as action – Freedom Riders example, p. 92 • Step Five – Evaluating • Research done by the powerless on the powerful; participatory evaluation; example p. 93

12. Research Practices • Steps in CBR Project • Identify the research question • Choose a research design and method • Collect the data • Analyze the data • Report the results • There are special considerations that need to be made at each step in a CBR project

13. Identifying a Research Question • Connect with a community organization needing research • Find out what they want to know • Translate what they want to know into a manageable research question • Write the research question(s) down and post

14. Research Design and Method – Criteria Governing Choices • Traditional Research & CBR • Resources (time, money, people) available • Population characteristics • Population availability • Orientation and skills of the researcher • The nature of the research question

15. Research Design and Method – Criteria Governing Choices • Additional criteria for CBR • Purpose of the research • Skill levels of students and community members • Academic time crunch • Learning goals

16. Collecting the Data – Who? • Do you involve community members in data collection? • Benefits • Rewarding for community members • Can act as “informants” • Can build community relationships • Community members develop expertise or skills • Challenges • Community members may be willing but are untrained • Risk that data collection will not get done on time or done well enough

17. Collecting the Data - Sampling • From sources other than humans • Archives and agency data, public records, newspapers, web sites, organizational charts, land use records, transcripts (YI example), etc. • Challenges – incomplete or incomprehensible records, bureaucratic regulations that limit access, uncooperative or incompetent gatekeepers, bad weather, etc.

18. Collecting the Data - Sampling • From human subjects • More challenging than gathering samples from other sources • Securing participants • Sample size and representativeness take a back seat • Ethical issues – protecting the privacy and dignity of respondents • IRB Application Form http://www.weber.edu/IRB/application_form.html • Training for students http://cme.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/humanparticipant-protections.asp

19. Analyzing the Data • Ideally, faculty, students and community partners are involved • Academic researchers bring experience, training and access resources • Students carry out the data entry and analysis • Community partners provide an insider’s view on findings and their uses • Most CBR analysis can be done with basic training and resources

20. How to Report Results • Key Questions: • In what format should results be presented? • Where should results be shared? • Who should present the findings?

21. Reporting the Results - Format • Written Reports • PowerPoint presentation • Skit • Colorful Poster illustrating key results in graphs • Press release • Press conference • Theatrical presentation • Demonstration or rally

22. Reporting Results – Where to Share • Campus-based presentations • Sharing results with community partners • Service Symposium • Community-based presentations • Academic Conferences

23. Reporting Results – Who Presents • If the social change requires the action of an external party, the researcher may be the most appropriate person to present. • If the students have been the most intimately involved with the CBR project or if the project involves some politically charged issue, the students may be the most appropriate. • If the research is primarily for the community, it may be best received if community members present the findings.