Global Community Monitor
October 20, 2005

PRINCIPLES FOR COMMUNITY-BASED RESEARCH

1) Community partners should be involved at the earliest stages of the
project, helping to define research objectives and having input into
how the project will be organized.

2) Community partners should have real influence on project direction
-- that is, enough leverage to ensure that the original goals,
mission, and methods of the project are adhered to.

3) Research processes and outcomes should benefit the community.
Community members should be hired and trained whenever possible and
appropriate, and the research should help build and enhance community
assets.

4) Community members should be part of the analysis and interpretation
of data and should have input into how the results are distributed.
This does not imply censorship of data or of publication, but rather
the opportunity to make clear the community's views about the
interpretation prior to final publication.

5) Productive partnerships between researchers and community members
should be encouraged to last beyond the life of the project. This will
make it more likely that research findings will be incorporated into
ongoing community programs and therefore provide the greatest possible
benefit to the community from research.

6) Community members should be empowered to initiate their own
research projects which address needs they identify themselves.

Denny Larson
Director
Global Community Monitor
A project of the Tides Center
222 Richland Ave.
San Francisco, CA 94110
USA

Office +1 415 643 1870
Cell + 1 415 845 4705

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