What is CBPR?
Community-Based Participatory Research
Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), sometimes called community-engaged research or community-partnered research, is an alternative to “traditional” scientific research. Traditionally, research is led solely by academics. CBPR involves community partners with equal decision-making power, mutual ownership of the research processes and products, and a focus on solving community problems and improving practice.
Traditional Research vs. CBPR
(Table adapted from Horowitz, et al. 2009)
| Traditional Research | Community-Based Participatory Research | |
|---|---|---|
| Usually Led By | Outside expert | Community & Academic Partner |
| Purpose | Develop new knowledge | Solve community problems, improve practice |
| Types of Data Gathered | Quantitative and/or qualitative | Quantitative and/or qualitative |
| Purpose of Gathering and Analyzing Data | Gain better understanding of something, develop or test hypothesis | Explore practical issue, guide action planning, evaluate results |
| Standard for quality research | Peer review methods and results | The research results in desired change |
| Primary audience | Other researchers, the profession, government or private agencies | Members of the community |
| Common Products | Academic Journals, Presentations | Community Research Briefs, Community Forums, Community action plans |
CBPR in real life
Watch this 3 minute video from the University of California San Francisco on what CBPR looks like in action.
Key Principles of CBPR
A collaborative approach to research that equitably involves all partners in the research process and recognizes the unique strengths that each brings. CBPR begins with a research topic of importance to the community and has the aim of combining knowledge with action and achieving social change…
Recognize community as a unit of identity
Build on community strengths and resources
Facilitate equitable partnership in all phases of research
Power-sharing attends to social inequalities
Co-learning and capacity-building among all partners
Balance knowledge generation (research) with intervention (action)
Focus on local relevance with ecological perspectives
Involve all partners in the interpretation and dissemination of findings
Commit to a long-term process for sustainable benefit to the community
