Ready to conduct community-engaged research… now what?
There is no limit to the topic, context, or approaches for community-engaged research. Regardless of the specific approaches we have described here, community-engaged research efforts share the characteristics of trust, respect, openness, collaboration, and a willingness to reflect on and challenge structures and processes that have excluded individuals, groups and ways of knowing.
Start with what, and who, you know. Build a research project out of existing relationships with individuals and communities; this is preferable to (and more sustainable than) starting with a research project and then seeking out potential community partners. If the former is not possible, work with USC University Relations and/or community-based organizations to identify ways to engage that are respectful, build capacity, and geared to the long-term.
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- Who will be the community partner for this research? How will I develop and nurture the relationship before, throughout, and after this research?
- What role does/will the community play in the research?
- Is there an opportunity for transformative transdisciplinary work? Who might be key partners in this collaborative effort?
- How does the community (individuals, the community as a whole) benefit from the research?
- How will a respectful atmosphere for knowledge sharing and mutual learning be created?
- How will funding be shared/communities be compensated for their time and participation (individually, organizationally, as applicable)?
- How is research shared and communicated with the community? What strategies, formats, and languages are best used in the community?
