Translating Community-Based Participatory Research Principles Into Practice

What Is the Purpose of This Study?

• • This project was designed to increase capacity to conduct community-based participatory research (CBPR).

• • This article provides an overview of CBPR workshops that we held for academic and community members and explores suggestions from the academic and community workshop participants about how to put the principles of CBPR into practice.

What Is the Problem?

• • CBPR is not a method, but rather an approach for guiding and informing future research partnerships.

• • Although academics are trained in research methods, few receive formal training in community-engaged research approaches and they and their community partners will benefit from direction and assistance as they establish and maintain their research partnerships.

What Are the Findings?

• • Each original CBPR principle was rewritten into language that reflected the group discussion of the principles.

• • Participants suggested a wide range of actions for putting the CBPR principles into practice.

• • Specific attention was given to the importance of communication, development of structured procedures, and of understanding relevant data.

• • A majority felt that the workshops generated ideas about how they could use CPBR in their own work.

Who Should Care?

• • Academics and community members interested in engaging in partnered research.

Recommendation for Action

• • Results from this study can be used to facilitate future academic-community research partnerships.