What is Community-Engaged Research?

Community-engaged research emphasizes centring a community's priorities and perspectives throughout the research process. The approach often varies based on the specific project and the community's unique goals and needs. In community-engaged research, stakeholders collaborate closely with academic researchers, ensuring that the voices and lived experiences of community members are prioritized alongside their needs and aspirations.

This type of research frequently aims for actionable outcomes or concrete changes that benefit the community. It may also include training opportunities for both community members and researchers, fostering mutual learning and deconstructing traditional power imbalances in research relationships.

CHASR Community-Engaged Research Services

CHASR staff employ an iterative approach to research, actively engaging with community members throughout the project lifecycle to ensure alignment with community perspectives and priorities. Throughout the entire research process, CHASR prioritizes fostering long-term, reciprocal relationships, ensuring that each phase of engagement strengthens trust and mutual commitment with community partners.

Drawing on experience working with structurally marginalized communities, CHASR staff are skilled in mobilizing community-defined priorities into actionable research. We are committed to critically examining their roles within research partnerships, fostering reflexive, adaptive project development that places lived experiences at the centre of each phase of the research process.

  • CHASR staff prioritize building meaningful relationships with communities, meeting them where they are before initiating research.
  • CHASR staff members have experience collaborating with diverse stakeholders and community partners.
  • CHASR is committed to fostering long-term relationships with Knowledge Keepers, Elders, community members, and researchers.
  • Within CHASR’s fee-for-service model, clients retain full ownership of all data and research materials produced, ensuring community control over research outputs.

  • CHASR employs collaborative methods to design research projects rooted in community priorities and values.
  • CHASR researchers prioritize culturally relevant research practices when planning data collection and analysis.
  • CHASR projects often incorporate capacity-building opportunities for community partners as part of research activities.

  • CHASR staff work closely with community partners in data collection and analysis promoting active collaboration.
  • An iterative approach ensures that community values are continuously prioritized throughout the research process.
  • Data analysis incorporates community perspectives and contextual insights to support accurate interpretation and meaning-making.

  • CHASR translates academic findings into actionable, community-focused insights.
  • Research outputs are developed to drive actionable outcomes for the community (e.g., policy briefs, program recommendations, advocacy campaigns, plain-language reports).
  • Findings are shared in accessible formats chosen by the community (e.g., presentations, infographics, reports, workshops).

CHASR offers expertise in designing and implementing research that prioritizes community involvement and priorities. With a strong emphasis on collaborative approaches, CHASR specialists engage with diverse community partners throughout the research process, whether at the early stages of relationship-building or long-standing partnerships. Services include collaborative research design, data collection techniques such as interviews, focus groups, and surveys, as well as data analysis methods tailored to both qualitative and quantitative data. CHASR’s experienced team ensures that all research is conducted ethically and with cultural sensitivity, promoting regular communication to ensure community voices are centred and respected. Through a blend of methodological rigor and community focus, CHASR enhances the quality and relevance of research findings for real-world application.