Practical Research Approaches for Communities
with Barbara Burnaby

Rapporteur: Sally Crawford

This workshop provided a practical overview of the steps involved in setting up a research project. Barbara reminded us that research should generate new knowledge. If it is set up to "prove" an answer that you already know, it is not as strong as research that surprises you.

Every research project begins with a question. The first step in research is posing the question. The question can be a hypothesis – something that can be answered yes/no. The question could be exploratory, for example an issue such as youth at risk. The question could be more grounded. It can also be just asking, why? A useful term in working out a question is praxis, which means the ways in which research, reflection and practice inform each other.
(research  reflection  practice)

Research must also be clear about who the participants are. Participants in research are the source of information. They can be involved in the research or the subject of it. Participatory or collaborative research is difficult, but highly valued. There are many concerns about participants: are they accessible? How will they feel? Can you get the data needed? Relationships with participants raise lots of questions about power dynamics. This is especially true when the researcher has a different power status from the participants (for example, they also teach the participants).

A good source about qualitative research is Methods from the Margins, by Kirby and McKenna. It discusses the differences between researching up (with participants who have a higher status than the researcher) and researching down (with participants who have a lower status).

When you design a research project, you need to consider who the audience for the results is. At the same time, community researchers have to deal with lots of power issues. Funders are looking for outcomes, and may be perceived as biasing the results. Where can you get support to do the research you want to do?

Another issue Barbara raised is the time frame. Because questions always lead to more questions, it is often hard to end the research. When you plan research, make sure to allow some time for unexpected things, or for "screw-ups". Everyone plans how to set up their research, but should also plan how the research will end.

Most research projects start with a proposal. It is essential to think through your project beforehand. Make sure all steps and contingencies are included in your proposal. Remember, too, to allow for changes in plans. Nothing is written in stone.

The group discussed a few research projects that participants were planning. They considered different ways to pose the questions and structure the research. This led to some discussion of a few issues:

• What is the continuum from very specific to the local situation to "objective" information? If I am doing work in my location, is this just a case study? Will this research or these findings apply anywhere else?
• How can you make the evaluations understandable and usable?
• How do you pose the research question?

Suggested resource:
Kirby, Sandra and Kate McKenna. Experience Research Social Change: Methods from the Margins.
Toronto: Garamond Press, 1989.