Development of a community-based participatory manual for community partners

Community members and academic partners engage in tandem relationships in community-based research (CBPR).  In contrast to numerous academic publications about participating in CBPR, there is a dearth of resources articulating the community’s expectation of academic researchers.  In 2012, a community-academic partnership sought to determine how Native Hawaiian community partners perceive engagement and involvement in CBPR. As a means to ground the project in community, a community-academic advisory group was formed. The advisory group informed the development of the focus group questions and guided the research process. Data was collected through twelve focus groups with Native Hawaiian community participants throughout the island of O’ahu. Three main themes emerged from the focus groups. These are: circles of relationship, who plays a role, and patience. The theme of circles of relationship is related to knowing who controls the project, the ability to defend the community, and being in control. The theme, who plays a role, is related to the communities perception to inform the level and type of participation and commitment. The final theme, patience, is related to the level of commitment.  Findings from this project will be used to inform the development of a community-based resource about the community’s expectation of academic partners.    This resource will be a valuable tool for individuals and organizations planning to conduct research or implement a project in a community. It will help to ensure that the community has an equal partnership in all aspects of the research and that the findings will benefit the community members.