Have you heard of Community-based participatory research (CBPR)?
No? Me neither.
Well, according to the web page of the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement,
...Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is an increasingly popular approach to research. It involves members of community organisations taking a lead, or working alongside professional researchers, in doing research that is relevant to their communities. It involves sharing power and responsibility and working for beneficial outcomes.
...This type of research tends to generate a range of distinctive ethical issues. This is because it involves people working together in partnership, who may have different skills, perspectives and purposes. Community-based researchers may also often be involved in researching the communities to which they belong.
There is a 4 minute film here under the title, 'Ethics in community-based participatory research' which is quick to watch and easy to follow.
BUT WAIT A MINUTE
The National Standards for Community Engagement, which set out best practice guidance for engagement between communities and public agencies.
Personally I do not think that these standards are functioning well enough.
Over the years APT has made formal representations to the Council regarding the use of these standards and our statements have fallen on stony ground.
I think it is time we revisited this subject - look out for more posts in the next few weeks.
