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Creating a better future for communities through research

Ethics in Community Based Research

In January  2008, CCBR hosted an open community meeting to discuss the need and vision for ethical reviews of community based research in Waterloo Region. The meeting was attended by over 45 representatives from local community organizations, social institutions, government, non-governmental funders, and academics. The purpose of this meeting was to determine if there is a local need for ethics review and protocols in community research and if so, how this can be accomplished in Waterloo Region.

A main finding from the meeting was a strong need for a collective response in the near term. The meeting ended with a call for a working group to implement the ideas generated by meeting participants. Twelve people volunteered to join this working group. To read the complete report from the forum,  please click here: Forum Report.

Forum participants in discussion
Forum participants in discussion

 

Project Progress

Since the community meeting, the working group has been collaborating to translate ideas into action. It was decided that a needs assessment and feasibility study in the Waterloo Region would be the most effective way to explore the issues, challenges and dilemmas related to the practice of community-based research and research ethics. In addition, the goal to discuss possible future actions to facilitate ethically sound community-based research in the Waterloo Region was identified. In the fall of 2008, a steering committee was struck from the larger working group to continue with the vision to develop a needs assessment and feasibility study. Also at this time, the Wellesley Institute located in Toronto, Ontario joined the team as a funder and as a research partner in the project. The project expanded from the Waterloo Region to a second site in Toronto. Other communities in Ontario also expressed interest in our work about how to conduct ethically sound community based research.

Current Phase and Future Goals

The project is now well under way! Since January, 2009 the CCBR team has been conducting the needs assessment and feasibility study. The Waterloo site has conducted 10 key informant interviews and has had 15 people participate in focus groups. In addition, the Toronto site has conducted 18 key informant interviews and has had 31 people participate in focus groups. In total, knowledge and ideas have been shared by 74 people including academics, members of community organizations and peer researchers. The information is now being analyzed and summarized with the purpose to share the findings and explore action strategies at the next community forum, being planned for late October 2009.

For more information or to  include your name on the forum invitation list please contact : peggy@communitybasedresearch.ca