What is Community-Led Action Research?
Introduction
On this page you will find some resources that will help you beginning thinking about developing a community-led action research project.
First things first: what is community led action research?
Community-led action research is where the community decides on the issue to be researched, designs and carries out the research, and makes use of the results to achieve positive change.
By community-led we mean that a community group or organisation decides to take action on an issue that is important to them. Help might be sought from academics, council officers or organisations like ourselves but it is ultimately the community who decides what they want to find out, how they will do this and why.
By action we mean anything that leads to positive change in and for that community: it could be a new community amenity, park, service or activity or an improvement to something already happening.
By research we simply mean the organised collection of information to create knowledge that is recognised as having value. In community-led action research the community has a greater role in deciding which knowledge has value, which gives the research a validity that traditional forms of research struggle to achieve.
Community-led action research is the bringing together of these components to increase the ability of a community to achieve change.
Section Content
Community-led action research is often described as being a ‘cycle’ – which is different from ‘traditional’ approaches to research. It is also a flexible approach which can be tailored to adapted to fit the needs of your community and organisation.
As it is for the community to set the agenda, a community-led action research project can be carried out on a wide range of themes.
Where you have an issue in your community that you think carrying out research would help you to act and make a positive change
Where you are undertaking an action, intervention or service (or are preparing to) that would benefit from a community-led action research process – with a view to further developing (or instigating new) community action.
We have prepared a ‘model project’ which might help give some inspiration.
You can also read our community-led action research FAQ here.
