Constructing and Managing Culturally Competent Research Teams for Community-Based Investigations

SUMMARY

Pragmatic methodological issues are presented to enhance the effectiveness of research teams operating within ethnic-cultural communities. Operating from an African-centered conceptual framework, recommendations are presented regarding: (1) the importance of clarifying the cultural value orientation that directs the research; (2) team-building issues that impact the construction and maintenance of research groups; (3) strategies for increasing awareness and understanding of the ethnic-cultural community being investigated; and (4) methods to establish mechanisms within the team to support individual and group needs. Immersing research teams in the culture of ethnic-cultural groups can enhance the planning, design, and implementation of various research projects and improve the quality of data obtained. The paper argues that such a perspective can lead to the discovery of more authentic voices within historically oppressed ethnic-cultural communities.