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Working together to build a stronger community – now and forever.

MAKING RESEARCH WORK

FOR YOUR COMMUNITY:
Do you conduct surveys to learn more
about your community?

Do you have participants fill out forms?

 Do you perform evaluations to figure out

the impact of your activities?

Do you have to report to your funders about outcomes?

Are you thinking about doing any of these activities?

Are you considering working with researchers or

do you want to work more effectively with researchers?

A Guidebook to Successful
Research Partnerships
About this guidebook
Since 2008, Natasha Ray, New Haven Healthy Start Consortium Coordinator and physician researchers from
the Yale Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program (YRWJFCSP) have partnered on a series of research
projects to address maternal health issues in New Haven, CT. During these partnerships, Natasha Ray, Kenn
Harris, Director of New Haven Healthy Start and community research faculty from the YRWJFCSP reflected on
what they experienced as best practices in community partnered research.

An opportunity arose between these two long standing research partners to gain a greater understanding
of and enhance the experiences of other community leaders (including other Healthy Start Programs) and
university researchers in collaborative relationships. In 2012 Natasha Ray, BSc and YRWJF Clinical Scholar,
Karen Wang, MD launched a qualitative study to gain insights from both community leaders in New Haven
and university researchers on practices that would benefit both partners.

This guidebook was created as a result of their work together and the findings of their interviews with
20+ community leaders and university researchers. It is intended to help communities and community
organizations in their decisions to:

1. Conduct their own research;

2. Work effectively with university researchers;
3. Maximize the value of community-university research relationships

Acknowledgements
The following research team, Advisory Committee and authors provided support leading
to the creation of this guidebook:
David Berg, Clinical Professor, Yale University School of Medicine
Amy Carroll-Scott, Associate Research Scientist, Community Alliance for Research and Engagement,
Yale School of Public Health; Assistant Professor of Community Health, Drexel University
Ann Greene, Board Member, West River Neighborhood Services Corporation
Kenn Harris, Director, New Haven Healthy Start, The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven
Georgina Lucas, Deputy Director, Director of Community Research Training,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine
Marjorie Rosenthal, Assistant Director, Co-Director of Community Research Training,
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Clinical Scholars Program, Yale University School of Medicine
Barbara Tinney, Executive Director, New Haven Family Alliance

Robert Wood Johnson

Foundation Clinical
Scholars Program

Yale School of Medicine

Making Research Work for Your Community

Table of Contents
A. What is research and why does it matter?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
What is community-based participatory research?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

B. The benefits to partnering with university researchers in research. . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

C. How do you best represent the interests of your community
when partnering with university researchers?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

D. What are the necessary conversations to have with university researchers

when considering my community’s involvement in a project?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

E. What does a research partnership involve?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

F. 
How does my community create action from the research results?. . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

G. Potential barriers to research partnerships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

APPENDIX
Checklist. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Resources.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 1

A
What is research and why does it matter?
Research is the systematic collection of information or data to answer a specific question that is of interest
to a broad audience. Research is important because it can:

1. Be used to document a need for services or the effect of services.

2. Provide information to improve the quality of programs, services and outcomes for your participants.
3. Promote the work of your community.
4. Advocate for your work and secure support for your mission.
5. Tell a story in reports for funders and policymakers.

Common types of research:

1. Clinical Trials—studies that explore whether a medical strategy, treatment or device is safe and
effective for humans.
2. Program Evaluation—the systematic collection, analysis, and reporting of information about a program
to determine the effectiveness of the program and/or assist in program improvement.
3. Needs Assessment or Community Assessment —a process to collect information about the needs
and assets of a particular community to help guide actions for program interventions for policy decisions of a
target population to help guide the services and programs to address those needs and policy decisions.

Types of data collection methods commonly used in research:

1. Interviews—specific questions asked to individual people in a conversational format, led by a
trained facilitator.
2. Surveys—specific questions of individual people in a written format. They can be interviewer-administered
or self-administered on paper or online. They can include short answer or multiple choice questions.
3. Focus Groups—small group sessions led by a trained facilitator to obtain a group of participants’ opinions
about on a set of discussion questions. It is a way to capitalize on group dynamics and shared experiences.

The method(s) selected for a research project is dependent on the goals of the research and/or resources
available for the research.

2 Making Research Work for Your Community

What is community-based participatory research?
Community-based participatory research (also known as CBPR, participatory action research, community-
partnered participatory research) is an approach to research that is rooted in the principles of equality and
aims to ensure that all the partners in a research project secure what they need from the project. Through this
process, community organizations are involved ideally in all stages of the research rather than just a single
aspect such as recruiting participants or offering advice.

The main characteristics of CBPR include, but are not limited to:
1. Recognizes that community as a unit of identify;
2. Builds on strengths and resources within the community;
3. Facilitates a collaborative, equitable partnership in all phases of the research, involving a power-sharing
process that attends to social inequities;
4. Fosters co-learning and capacity building among all partners;
5. Integrates and achieves a balance between knowledge generation and intervention for mutual benefit
of all partners;
6. Focuses on the local relevance of public health issues that recognize and attend to the multiple
determinants of health;
7. Involves systems development using a cyclical and iterative process;
8. Disseminates results to all stakeholders and involves partners in the dissemination process;
9. Involves a commitment to sustainability.
10. Openly addresses issues of race, ethnicity, racism, and social class, and embodies “cultural humility.”

Develop Research
Partnership and Research
▲

Disseminate
Support
and
▲

for
Implement Research
Community–University
Changes
Research Partnership

▲ ▲
▲ ▲
Analyze Conduct
Results Research
▲

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 3

B
The benefits to partnering with university researchers in research
Whether your community/organization is just beginning the process of data collection or already involved
in research, it might consider working with a university researcher to:

1. Gain knowledge in the field of research.

2. Increase your capacity to do research and increase the capacity of the individuals involved in the research.
Skills learned through this process can be applied to other aspects of your work.
3. Provide more resources for your community/organization.
4. Increase the legitimacy of your community/organization’s work among existing and new audiences.
“There is a wealth of
knowledge, information 5. Broaden the impact of your community/organization’s work by including researchers in your coalitions
and experience that is of stakeholders—unified to address a common mission.
had when academic
researchers and community
members engage in
authentic community-based
participatory research.”
— Community Leader

4 Making Research Work for Your Community

C
How do you best represent the interests of your community
when partnering with university researchers?
Before agreeing to any research, there are a few aspects of research to consider. Research, though
potentially rewarding, may be a labor intensive and time consuming process. It is important to know your
goals and your limits. You should discuss these issues with your staff and research partners to decide
whether a research project is worth your time and energy.

Three questions to ask before agreeing to work with university researchers:

1. Is the project in line with the mission of my organization/community?

“Ask yourself: What does it • Does this information help to address your community needs and priorities?
mean to engage in a long- Will the research be conducted with awareness of the rights of the people involved?
term partnership? What are • Will the type and amount of information you collect meet the needs of your organization?
you willing to give? What
• Is the timeline of the project and the production of results in line with your timeline?
are you willing to give up? (for example: report deadlines)
Know the interest of the
University and decide on 2. What does my organization/community gain from the research project?
a project that has mutual • What resources does the researcher provide for your participation in the project?
interest.” (for example: data, funding, training, equipment)
—Community Leader
• What products does your organization get from the research to help you achieve your mission?
(for example: research reports, grant application)
“So as long as you have
• What is the plan for using the data from the research once the project is over?
a vision, know where
(for example: data ownership, results dissemination)
you want to go, and you
stick to your vision, your 3. What does my organization/community have to give up to participate?
goals, you’ll never have
• Does it interfere with your organization’s ability to carry out its daily work?
a problem.”
— Community Leader
• Will participation in the research be practical, realistic, and achievable?
(for example: staff time, administrative resources, organizational flow, client perception)

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 5

D
What are the necessary conversations to have with researchers
when considering my community’s involvement in a project?
Community organizations have had the experience of university researchers who “pack up and leave”
after data collection is done to write their academic manuscripts. They don’t share the findings
with the community participants, and they don’t give recognition to the community organization for
its participation in the research. However, successful community-university partnerships exist,
and two processes to improve your experience in research and prevent this type of exploitation are:

1. Engage in all parts of the planning process to ensure you are an equitable and empowered partner
throughout the process.

“You need to be very clear

2. Identify and articulate explicitly in the beginning of the partnership development and planning process what
you expect to gain from this process, how involved you want to be, and what you want the next steps after
about who is going to
data collection to be.
keep the data, what’s done
with the data. There were Some community organizations require a Memorandum of Understanding that explicitly states the role,
times when there was a responsibilities, ownership of the data, plans for sustainability and other issues that need clarity throughout the
disagreement with that and project. You have the right and responsibility to negotiate your needs and protect your organization
then so we had to resolve
and the community. You don’t have to answer only “Yes” or “No”. Here are few issues you should discuss:
that issue. Things ought • Do not be afraid to talk about history with the university researcher. This conversation might include
to be negotiated and then any personal history you have had with university research or any experience your organization may have had
clearly spelled out some-
in the past. It might also involve talking about the historical relationship between the university and your
organization and the larger community.
where. The Memorandum
of Understanding is where • E qual representation of your community organization on any product created from the research
you capture everything
partnerships—Several products may be created, such as executive summaries, community or academic
presentations, policy briefs, press releases or manuscripts. Make sure your organization’s name, logo
so that everything is clear.
and staff members who worked on the project are represented on products created and mentioned in any
You set up those parameters public setting where applicable.
early on.”
•O
 wnership of the data. At the start of the partnership, negotiate the use and storage of the data
—Community Leader
by both parties.

“I said, ‘I want you to make

•U
 se of data during or after the research project. Researchers may be required by journal editors to keep
certain results of a project private until the publication is printed. Be sure that you are able to use your data in
an investment. In the past,
reports to funders or promotional activities if needed before publication.
it’s really been a colonial
relationship. I mean
•Y
 our level of involvement. There are many roles for community organizations in a research process. You
can be involved along the continuum of research activities, from recruiting participants for a research study by
you guys want something
putting up a flyer in a waiting room, serving as an advisor on research project, allowing researchers to conduct
and what do we get?’ a study at your site with your clients, or being a co-researcher or lead research on a project. Your involvement
We need to change the will influence the intensity and content of your discussions about the research relationship between you and
structure. There needs to be the university researcher.
something that we derive
directly from the research.”
—Community Leader

6 Making Research Work for Your Community

E
What does a research partnership involve?
A good working research partnership occurs when there is an underlying trust and when the partnership
is mutually beneficial to all partners involved. This type of partnership requires time and effort to begin,
develop, and maintain. Community organizations have had variable experiences working with university
researchers forming collaborations. Many community leaders would agree that the foundation for a good
collaboration is based on equality, transparency, and clear communication.

How do you work towards a good research partnership?

Be clear about your expectations, your role and responsibilities in the research.
“Any collaboration has
To ensure a good partnership, it is important to talk about your role in and your expectations from the research
partnership, as well as your research partners’ expectations of you from the beginning.
to have a philosophical
synergy, a programmatic Be open about your needs.
and personal clarity and
Throughout the project, particularly in the beginning, you should negotiate what you want from the research
project – for example, a report from the research, data to use for other reports and grant applications, research
connection to the work.
training for your staff, and financial and human capital resources to support your work on the research project.
This synergy is usually
beneficial to both groups.”
Re-evaluate your role and needs during the process and at the end of the project.
Once the project begins, the community organization staff often gets so deeply involved in the day-to-day work
—Community Leader
that it is not uncommon to forget to reassess whether you are getting what you want from the project. Remember
to get feedback from staff involved directly in the project and then give feedback to your research partners.
“Our challenge was getting
Know the goals of your university researcher partners.
to a place where there was
University researchers engage community organizations in research for a variety of reasons, such as improving
true mutuality between the quality of their research, fulfilling a requirement by funding agencies, or recruiting participants in a study to
researchers and community decrease health inequities. University researchers must also create products to succeed within the university, such
members. It took a while for as publications, presentations and getting grant funding. These goals can co-exist with your goals, so long as you
the [academic] researchers are both up front from the beginning about what you need to get out of this partnership and project.
to internalize a real sense Expect and work through conflicts.
of equality.” Issues arise in all working relationships, especially between organizations. Have a plan for conflict resolution.
—Community Leader
What makes a good university collaborator?
“If there is an opportunity Community organizations in New Haven have said that they want to work with university researchers who are:
for partnerships, it should • Able to balance their knowledge and skills with humility
be understood that this
• Good listeners
is an “intersecting” and
not a “merge”. Each • Value the expertise of the community and community organizations
organization has its own • Open to learning
culture, objectives and • Flexible in their research approach
outcomes. There needs to
be a clear understanding
• Transparent in their goals for the research project
that these organizations • Knowledgeable in principles of community-based research and community-based participatory research
intersect to interact, not
to merge and that they need
to embrace the diversity
within the partnership.”
—Community Leader

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 7

 F
How does my community create action from the research results?
At the beginning of the project you should plan for the next steps following research completion, and identify
the role(s) you and your research partners will play. Your plans may change depending on the research
experience and results. However, identifying some of these next steps during the planning phase will ensure
the project meets your organization’s needs. Here are some examples of next steps after research:

“When we have a plan to Disseminate results

disseminate this informa- • Communicate research results to community members, partner organizations, advocates, policymakers,
tion to the community, it is funders, and other stakeholders
the best. We can have an • Promote your work through press releases, newsletters, local media, etc.
open talk and say, ‘These
• Present at scientific or community conferences
are our findings. There’s
going to be a brochure, a
• Publish in scientific journals
DVD or a little card that
Plan for other possible next steps for your project
says what we found or what
people should do.”
• Identify additional stakeholders, allies, or partners
—Community Leader • Identify program or service needs
• Identify necessary policy changes
“It would have been nice
• Identify further needed research or program evaluation activities
to have some sort of a
follow up after the report • Seek funding and apply for other grants
to talk about, “How can • Engage in policy change or advocacy efforts
I use the report?” Again,
• Mobilize leaders and residents around an issue
I would love to be educated
by the researchers on how
• Develop an on-going collaboration
to take this info and turn it • Design a longer-term work plan within the research partnership you created
into a change in practice, • Institutionalize successful data gathering, analysis, or research processes into your organization’s operations
creation of a new program, (for examples: create a research review committee)
or a change in existing
programs.” Sustain relationships with research partners by maintaining communication
—Community Leader • Set up regular meetings to keep discussions ongoing
• Give and get regular updates from all research partners even after the data has been collected
“I would tell them to have or funding period is over
regular communications
• Share your progress regarding your work related to the original research project
meetings where you are
building a relationship with
the researcher to talk
about how things are going,
get feedback, and evaluate
excitement level.”
—Community Leader

8 Making Research Work for Your Community

G
Potential barriers to research partnerships
Community organizations that have worked with university researchers talk about the amount of work that goes
into these partnerships. Here is a list of potential barriers to research partnerships that are good to be aware of.

Resources:
Conducting research can be resource-intensive, of both time and money. Here are potential investments:
• Ensuring the research process and research partnership doesn’t compromise your work or community relations
• Investment of staff energies and any other in-kind support for the project that takes resources away
from programs or other work

“The other challenge was

• Finding staff with the skills and interest to work on the project
the amount of time, • Supporting staff to take the time out of their work to go to meetings and work on the project
investment and resources
—not necessarily financial Institutional Review Boards (IRB):
Any research conducted with an organization that has an IRB needs to go through what is called human
resources but human
subjects approval. The IRB is a body that ensures the research will be ethical, fair, and respectful of the
resources that one needs individuals involved. The researcher needs to submit a written proposal describing the research to the IRB.
to put into a community- This process minimizes risks and maximizes benefits, ensures confidentiality of participants, and seeks consent
based participatory for participation. It is important to ask about the IRB process and start the process early so it doesn’t hold
research process. It was up your work, since approval by an IRB may take a lot of time. . Special arrangements may need to be made
quite demanding.” for staff of your agency to be covered by the IRB. Every staff member involved in the research project must
complete the human subjects protection training.
—Community Leader

Administrative Hurdles:
“Talk about the money, get There are many administrative steps to starting and completing a partnership research project
stipends for the participants. between CBOs and university researchers, that may include:
Make sure that it works • Getting approval from your board of directors, your research committee, and other key stakeholders,
for you in your organization. such as community members.
If it doesn’t, there will
• Getting approval for subcontracts and the transfer of funds from university to CBOs to support research
always be more work than within the CBO
you thought there would
• Setting up correct process for payment of research staff within the CBO
be. There will always be
twists and turns in the • Ensuring that every member of the research team has human subjects training
road that you or they didn’t
anticipate.”
—Community Leader

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 9

 APPENDIX
Checklist

What do you want from the research? What are your priorities?

What is your desired outcome from the research?

What resources do you have to do the research?

What resources do you need to do the research?

W
 hat plan do you have in place to ensure that your needs are met?
(for example: human capital, training, financial resources, access to data, plan for after project
is completed, MOU)

What are the administrative hurdles that you need to get over to participate in research?

 hat are the priorities of the university researcher?

W
(for example: publications, grant-funding, improvement of clinical practice and behavioral change)

If you decide on a CBPR approach, how will you adhere to the principles of community–based
participatory research?

10 Making Research Work for Your Community

Resources
The following list contains a few resources developed for community-university partnerships:

Local
Community and university researchers affiliated with YCCI (Yale Center for Clinical Investigation),
CARE (Community Alliance for Research and Engagement), RWJFCSP (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Clinical Scholars Program) developed Principles and Guidelines for Community-University Research
Partnerships and Beyond Scientific Publication: Strategies for Disseminating Research Findings, both
available online at yale.edu
• Y
 CCI focuses on translating discoveries from laboratory into the clinic and then into community to improve
care and outcomes for patients. One pillar of its mission is community research and outreach—training future
researchers on community research, fostering interdisciplinary community-university collaborations, and
providing skills and resources for community partners. ycci.yale.edu
• CARE aims to improve the health of New Haven residents through community engagement, collaborative
community-based research, and dissemination of findings. care.yale.edu
• C
 SP trains university researchers on community engagement and community-based participatory research.
The CSP program and its Steering Committee on Community Projects provide input for the university researchers
interested in developing community-engaged projects. rwjesp.yale.edu
• C
 enter for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS (CIRA) is an AIDS research center at Yale that facilitates
interdisciplinary research to advance science and improve outcomes for communities affected by HIV/AIDS.
Community and university researchers affiliated with CIRA developed the Community-Based HIV/AIDS
Research: Guidelines for Successful Partnerships. circa.yale.edu
•  aking Research Work for Your Community: A Guidebook to Successful Reseacrh Partnership
M
by Natasha Ray and Karen Wang, MD

National
Community-Based Public Health Caucus www.sph.umich.edu/cbphcaucus
This group, affiliated with the American Public Health Association, is guided by the belief that ‘community lies
at the heart of public health, and that interventions work best when they are rooted in the values, knowledge,
expertise, and interests of the community itself’.
Community-Campus Partnership for Health (CCPH) www.ccph.info
CCPH is a nonprofit organization that promotes health equity and social justice through partnerships between
communities and academic institutions. It hosts many resources including toolkits for research partnership and
comprehensive list of more community-campus resources.
Detroit Community-Academic Urban Research Center (Detroit URC) www.detroiturc.org
The Detroit URC is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership conducting research and
interventions to reduce and ultimately eliminate health inequities in the city of Detroit. This website contains
news and updates, networking opportunities, CBPR tools, policy advocacy resources and much more.
The Institute of Community Research (ICR) www.incommunityresearch.org
ICR is a nonprofit organization based in Hartford, CT whose focus is to use the tools of research to build
community capacity and foster collaborative community-based partnerships.

A Guidebook to Successful Research Partnerships 11

12 Making Research Work for Your Community
Printed in 2014
Natasha Ray, BSc
Consortium Development Coordinator
c/o The Community Foundation
for Greater New Haven
70 Audubon Street
New Haven, CT 06510
[email protected]
203-777-7087