Processes and practices for building strong collaborative research partnerships: lessons learned from the Locally-Driven Collaborative Projects programme

Abstract

There is a growing interest in collaborative approaches to research that actively engage both researchers and knowledge users in the creation of evidence. Collaborative research teams can produce relevant and timely knowledge for policy and practice, but must pay special attention to how they develop their partnerships in order to work together as effectively as possible. In this paper, we describe three group processes that collaborative research teams must address: fostering communication among partners; defining a shared vision, roles, and responsibilities; and building trust and respect. We also outline strategies in each of these areas that collaborative research teams can adopt to strengthen how they work together.