Community Research Workers: Are we making it harder than it needs to be?

Hiring local community members to assist in all aspects of the research is one of the key strategies of a CBPR approach. Community research workers, lay persons with limited or no previous research experience, have been engaged in various research projects and researchers have begun to document the challenges associated with this role including stressors, undue burden, and issues related to scientific integrity. This presentation draws upon lessons learned and experiences conducting a CBPR project that hires laypersons in the role of community researcher and wellness ambassador.

Hiring laypersons on a part-time basis causes self-selection. Their positionality as a full or part-time employee influences not only their availability but also their accessibility to the community. Furthermore, in communities with high levels of poverty and subsequent health disparities, it may be that those who apply for the community researcher role are those with higher levels of social capital. The community researcher application process itself can be lengthy, and moreover, obtaining employment requires background checks and can reveal criminal records.

Finally, we will discuss the challenge of combining two very different roles –community researcher and wellness ambassador. Involving laypersons in various aspects of the research requires the research team to critique the paradigm rather than making the laypersons fit the paradigm.  This presentation will explore the community researcher burden and the impact of various role challenges on engagement and practice.