Questions That Won't Go Away in Participatory Research

Abstract

Ethical issues are intrinsic to conducting research regarding society and natural resources, but they often become poignant when engaging in Participatory Action Research. We compiled common and persistent challenges into a list of “Questions That Won't Go Away” or “QTWGAs” that are relevant to people interested in conducting participatory research to benefit communities. We discuss these questions in the context of previously published literature and share examples from the experience of graduate student Fellows who conducted research with various communities around the United States. The questions serve to stimulate ongoing reflection about the process of participatory research, which may help reconcile expectations and improve research outcomes for both practitioners and communities.

Keywords:

• community-based research
• North America
• participatory research
• research ethics

Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the many Fellows, community partners, and research advisers whose projects formed the base of experience through which we refined the QTWGAs and identified examples, especially those who responded to queries during the preparation of this article. We also thank our colleagues and funders who directed and supported the CFERP program, especially Dr. Louise Fortmann.

Notes

¹Other terms and descriptions, such as community-based participatory research (CBPR) (Israel et al. 1998; Pontes Ferreira and Gendron 2011), reflect how the PAR concept has evolved, especially in the United States.