CTSI Community Engaged Research Initiative e-Library: Intro to CEnR

What does community-engaged research look like?

• Community stakeholders on project steering committees and other deliberative and decision-making bodies
• Community advisory boards
• Compensation for the community's time and other contributions
• Dissemination of results back out to the community
• Takes time!

What community-engaged research is NOT

• Focus groups or interviews
• A research methodology
• A bolt-on
• A one-size fits all approach
• Appropriate for all research
• Recruitment of minority research participants
• A relinquishing of all insight or control by researchers

• Be clear about the purposes of engagement and the populations you wish to engage

• Become knowledgeable about the community

• Establish relationships

• Collective self-determination is the responsibility and right of the community

• Partnering is necessary to create change and improve health

• Recognize and respect the diversity of the community

• Mobilize community assets and develop community capacity to take action

• Release control of actions and be flexible to meet changing needs

• Collaboration requires long-term commitment

Community - groups of people affiliated by geographic proximity, special interest, or similar situations to address issues affecting community health and well-being (e.g., community residents, identity, affiliation or interest, circumstances, profession or practice, non-profit organizations, faith-based organizations, and family).

Community-based research takes place outside the walls of the researcher's clinical or academic home.

Community-engaged research (CEnR) "begins with a research topic of importance to the community, has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change to improve health outcomes and eliminate health disparites." *

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a "collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings." *

*WK Kellogg Community Health Scholars Program