Abstract
Community engagement is a hallmark of Canadian health and social science research, yet we lack detailed descriptions of pragmatic peer engagement possibilities. People personally affected by a study’s topic can actively contribute to design, data collection, intervention delivery, analysis, and dissemination yet the nature and scope of involvement can vary based on context. The shift from academic to community-based research teams, where peers who share participant identities assume a leadership role, may be attributed to the HIV/AIDS response where community co-production of knowledge has been a fundamental component since the epidemic’s onset. This article discusses four health and social science studies from a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework and synthesizes the strengths and limitations of community engagement across these endeavours to offer lessons learned that may inform the design of future CBPR projects.
Highlights
Community engagement is a hallmark of Canadian health and social science research, yet we lack detailed descriptions of pragmatic peer engagement possibilities
When people who represent the population under study engage with a research project, they often do so as a ‘peer researcher’
Process Steps in community-based participatory research (CBPR) CBPR projects often proceed in a non-linear fashion; for example, the concept for a study may not be fully determined at the time of grant and ethics application, as initial approvals may be required to consult community members and revise a study during its course (Jenkins et al, 2016)
Summary
Community engagement is a hallmark of Canadian health and social science research, yet we lack detailed descriptions of pragmatic peer engagement possibilities. This article discusses four health and social science studies from a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework. It synthesizes the strengths and limitations of community engagement across these endeavours to offer lessons learned that may inform future CBPR projects. There is a corresponding lack of literature detailing pragmatic possibilities to engage peers in exploratory and intervention-based health and social science research (De Weger et al, 2018). The steps of traditional health and social science studies still occur in CBPR These steps are: a) concept development, b) questionnaire development, c) intervention design (if applicable), d) data collection, e) data analysis, and f ) dissemination. Training and supervision are essential to ensure that community members have the necessary competencies to perform their roles and feel confident (Kaida et al, 2019)
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