What if my research involves community engagement?
Community-engaged research is a process for working collaboratively with stakeholders such as patients, healthcare providers, public health leaders, policymakers, local human service agencies, and community partners to strengthen and contribute to the well-being of the stakeholders and the development and dissemination of knowledge. Community-engaged research embraces the use of many forms of engagement such as informing, consulting, involving, collaborating, and empowering. When engaging the community in research, there are specific considerations a researcher should keep in mind:
- Level of engagement with the community the research will require,
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with community partners,
- Level of input or collaboration community partners will have during the research, and
- Process for disseminating results to community partners.
Community-engaged research often involves partnerships and coalitions, which help mobilize resources, influence systems, and catalyze changing policies, programs, and practices. The IRB will review community-engaged research projects to ensure appropriate methods are consistent with the local needs of the participant demographic involved in the research concerning collaboration, respect, and impact on the community.
The Center for Community Health within the Feinberg School of Medicine supports researchers to ensure meaningful community and academic engagement across the research spectrum to improve health and health equity. Additional resources in support of community-engaged research can be found at https://www.feinberg.northwestern.edu/sites/cch/.