Community-based knowledge translation: unexplored opportunities

Anita Kothari,Rebecca Armstrong

doi:10.1186/1748-5908-6-59

Anita Kothari, Rebecca Armstrong

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/1748-5908-6-59

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Abstract

BackgroundKnowledge translation is an interactive process of knowledge exchange between health researchers and knowledge users. Given that the health system is broad in scope, it is important to reflect on how definitions and applications of knowledge translation might differ by setting and focus. Community-based organizations and their practitioners share common characteristics related to their setting, the evidence used in this setting, and anticipated outcomes that are not, in our experience, satisfactorily reflected in current knowledge translation approaches, frameworks, or tools.DiscussionCommunity-based organizations face a distinctive set of challenges and concerns related to engaging in the knowledge translation process, suggesting a unique perspective on knowledge translation in these settings. Specifically, community-based organizations tend to value the process of working in collaboration with multi-sector stakeholders in order to achieve an outcome. A feature of such community-based collaborations is the way in which 'evidence' is conceptualized or defined by these partners, which may in turn influence the degree to which generalizable research evidence in particular is relevant and useful when balanced against more contextually-informed knowledge, such as tacit knowledge. Related to the issues of evidence and context is the desire for local information. For knowledge translation researchers, developing processes to assist community-based organizations to adapt research findings to local circumstances may be the most helpful way to advance decision making in this area. A final characteristic shared by community-based organizations is involvement in advocacy activities, a function that has been virtually ignored in traditional knowledge translation approaches.SummaryThis commentary is intended to stimulate further discussion in the area of community-based knowledge translation. Knowledge translation, and exchange, between communities, community-based organizations, decision makers, and researchers is likely to be beneficial when ensuring that 'evidence' meets the needs of all end users and that decisions are based on both relevant research and community requirements. Further exploratory work is needed to identify alternative methods for evaluating these strategies when applied within community-based settings.

Highlights

Knowledge translation is an interactive process of knowledge exchange between health researchers and knowledge users
Exchange, between communities, community-based organizations, decision makers, and researchers is likely to be beneficial when ensuring that ‘evidence’ meets the needs of all end users and that decisions are based on both relevant research and community requirements
It is expected that the use of research in decision making will lead to a more efficient and effective health system, with longer

Summary

Introduction

Knowledge translation is an interactive process of knowledge exchange between health researchers and knowledge users. While perhaps not directly involved in the delivery of services, one might argue that non-governmental organizations, civil service organizations, and the voluntary sector require special attention with respect to KT processes Research in this area is just starting to emerge [2,3,4,5,6,7,8], and it is our intention to flag this work to stimulate further discussion in the area. Community-based organizations play an important role in the delivery of health strategies that may have occurred as part of higher-level KT decision-making processes or policies. As such, they may provide important perspectives on the KT process. The objective of this article is, to differentiate and contextualize the term ‘community-based KT’ in order for KT processes in this domain to adequately capture the connection between evidence, decision makers, practitioners, and the communities they serve

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Discussion

Conclusion