Working on the sustainability of local communities with a “community-engaged” research methodology

Abstract

The Globalism Institute at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) University in Melbourne is conducting research on local responses to globalisation across 10 local communities in seven different countries. The project's "community-engaged research methodology" was developed first in the Hamilton region in southwest Victoria, where staff from the university have been working in community partnerships for nearly 20 years. This research methodology differs from action research in that it sustains a clear distinction between the knowledge and skills of "outside" researchers and the hard-won local knowledge of community members. It is based on respectful dialogue and a clear commitment to maintain relationships for a matter of years rather than weeks. It involves the creation of "spaces for engagement" that can lead to multiple, sometimes unexpected, outcomes. It integrates a range of research methods (including surveys, story collection, strategic conversations, photo-narrative techniques, and research journals) that generate rich data to be used (subject to consent) by both community-based and university-based researchers. The research methods are linked to forms of analysis that relate local experiences to broader social processes. Community-engaged research takes time and patience but it can ensure good feedback and support mechanisms, good-quality data, locally relevant research outcomes and a process that can be convivial for all involved.

Making sustainability ‘real’: using group‐enquiry to promote education for sustainable development

“…Mulligan and Nadarajah 2008). Aware that a large number of students were at that time actively seeking topics for their Master's thesis, tutors put a call for interest in focusing on sustainable regeneration in Clones.…”

Surrounding Community Residents’ Expectations of HOPE VI for Their Community, Health and Physical Activity

“…We used a community engaged research approach (Israel, Schulz, Parker, & Becker, 1998; Mulligan & Nadarajah, 2008). We conducted study-related events (i.e.…”

Perceptions of Men With Moderate to Severe Hemophilia Regarding the Management of Their Chronic Disorder and Utilization of Community-Based Support

“…CBR methods are often closely related to community-engaged research, which in the words of Mulligan and Nadarajah (2008) strives "to restore the distinctive roles of insiders and outsiders in a way that leads to a more fruitful and open dialogue between the two parties in the partnership" (p. 83). Broadly speaking, both CBR and community-engaged research methodologies provide researchers with an opportunity to engage with a specific group of people in order to investigate a topic that is relevant to their interests and areas of need.…”