Community-based research is research conducted by, for, or with the participation of community members. Such collaboration can have powerful and long-lasting results that reflect the investment of each party and the benefits of working together. At the University of Denver, our goal is to conduct community-based research that empowers neighborhood organizations and residents to address their own needs and shape their own future. From a community organizing perspective, the act of acquiring information is one part of the overall community problem-solving process.
Research can play a valuable role in every stage of the process.
Research provides local community groups with the information they need but often do not have the time or resources to obtain. In fact, engaging colleges and universities in community-based research is often the avenue through which they become more engaged partners in the larger community. For colleges and universities, community research also provides the opportunity to combine classroom learning with real world needs in a way that can ultimately affect powerful community change. Thoughtfully designed and executed, community research can invigorate the teaching and learning that takes place in a classroom by infusing it with opportunities to provide much-needed research to community organizations in areas such as social services, transportation, survey research, and economic and market analysis. At the University of Denver, faculty and students are collecting data, identifying new possibilities, promoting equality, conducting public forums, and getting involved in a myriad of programs that address community needs.