Service-Bonded Inquiry Revisited: A Research Model for the Community-Engaged Professor

Abstract

The intent of this article is to inform readers about ways in which scholarly inquiry can be expanded. An overview and a refinement of a research approach called service-bonded inquiry are provided. Service-bonded inquiry is a response to the call for changing the way research is interpreted, conducted, and evaluated. At the heart of this approach is the integration of service and scholarship. Service-bonded inquiry attempts to equip community-engaged professors with a framework for answering the many questions generated from working in school and service programs and engaging in the lives of kids. First, a description of service-bonded inquiry is given along with the required steps for doing this type of research. Next, an example of a study that applies the concepts of service-bonded inquiry is provided. Finally, ways that by-products of service-bonded inquiry can be evaluated are suggested.