Description
The academic value of community research
In the evolving landscape of academic research, community research stands out as a powerful approach that bridges the gap between scholars and communities. By involving community members as active contributors within the research process, we can uncover deeper insights and foster more impactful outcomes. Our community research approach contributes to transformative practice by embracing mistakes, maintaining flexibility and appropriately resourcing contributors, all championing diverse forms of knowledge production.
What was our process?
Over a period of 34 weeks, we as a collective logged on virtually to Microsoft Teams to develop story ideas, design scripts and create characters through an iterative process of sharing and offering feedback. The community researchers were central to shaping the narratives, bringing their lived experiences and cultural insights to the forefront, which ensured that the stories were authentic and resonant with the intended audience.
The creative team complemented this by suggesting visually engaging scenes and potential techniques for enhancing emotional resonance and cultural authenticity in the final production. As a funder, our focus on health equity was paramount at every stage of the project. We helped to ensure that the stories developed were more than just entertainment; they became a platform for raising awareness, challenging inequities and promoting understanding.
This collaborative approach was invaluable for many reasons. First, it fostered a sense of ownership and empowerment among the community researchers, as they were not merely subjects of the storytelling but active co-creators. Their deep understanding of the community’s nuances, challenges and strengths enriched the narratives, making them more relatable and impactful.
Secondly, the iterative process of sharing and offering feedback allowed for continuous refinement of ideas, ensuring that the final product was creatively compelling and socially relevant. It also allowed us to think about both narrative and impact, putting us in the shoes of content creators and enabling us to learn about the complexities of storytelling, the importance of audience engagement and the ways in which creative decisions can amplify the intended social impact. The creative team’s expertise in visual storytelling further elevated the project by translating the researchers’ insights into powerful, visually engaging scenes that could captivate and move the audience.
Ultimately, this iterative and partnership-driven approach highlighted the value of collaboration across disciplines and lived experiences, demonstrating that when diverse perspectives come together, the outcome is a richer, more nuanced and more effective form of storytelling that can inspire, educate and create meaningful change.
We’re now embarking on a journey with a learning partner to reflect on our experiences and growth throughout this process. This will enable us to understand what has worked well, identify areas for improvement and refine our approach to ensure more effective and meaningful community engagement in the future.
Archiving knowledge
As an organisation, we are committed to learning from our investments. Through testing various community research approaches, we are beginning to share our learning in multiple forums with our partners and the sector, enabling us to contribute to the conversation on co-design and co-production approaches. This knowledge ranges from course material to inform community research as a practice, to visual content that describes and illustrates ethical community research. Archiving this knowledge ensures that valuable insights are preserved and accessible for future academic and community use, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement.