Community-Based Participatory Research is a growing approach in action-oriented, academic research. It can act as a bridge between academia and policy to uplift grassroot voices and indigenous stakeholder groups. It can be seen as an extension of community researchers, using visuals means such as maps, photos and videography to bring out perceptions and needs from communities while simultaneously empowering that community.
Check out ICLD’s CBPR online course to learn more more.
Ensuring that stakeholder consultation is empowering the affected community; capturing needs and perceptions of difficult-to-reach marginalised groups and communities, including illiterate or with different knowledge systems.
The main stakeholder and participant group is the local community most affected by the issue at hand – this can be an indigenous population; a waste-picker association; inhabitants of an informal settlement, etc.
Members of the community are engaged as co-researchers. This can build on the structure of community researchers as outlined in Method 4, and focus groups as in Method 8.
CBPR methods are often and preferably carried out in partnership between a local government and a main researcher.
Resources vary depending on the method: can be pen and paper, cameras, or videocamera and editing software.
CBPR is generally time-consuming and can be resource intense.