Call for Papers on Community-Based Participatory Research

Posted by on April 4, 2003

Dear Service-Learning Colleagues,

Call for Papers on Community-Based Participatory Research For a Theme Issue of the Journal of Interprofessional Care

Co-Editors: Anna Aret Eno, Stacy L. Holmes and Sarena D. Seifer

Deadline for papers: September 1, 2003
Anticipated publication date: Spring 2004

In recent years, international organizations, funding agencies and researchers have called for a renewed focus on an approach to health research that recognizes the importance of social, political and economic systems to health behaviors and outcomes. Much of the research that has sought to gain a better understanding of the social and physical determinants of health has considered individuals and communities as passive “subjects”, rather than as partners in the research process. Increasingly, however, attention is being paid to the contributions that community-based participatory research can make to new knowledge and to the translation of research findings into practice and policy.

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is a “collaborative approach to research that equitably involves, for example, community members, organizational representatives, and researchers in all aspects of the research process. The partners contribute unique strengths and shared responsibilities to enhance understanding of a given phenomenon and the social and cultural dynamic of the community, and integrate the knowledge gained with action to improve the health and well-being of community members” (Israel 1998). For the sake of simplicity, we use the term CBPR but we realize that a variety of terms are used in different
contexts to essentially describe a similar approach – for example, the terms action research, empowerment evaluation and participatory action research.

CBPR has been identified as a key strategy in efforts to reduce health disparities, whether they are based on race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, geography or other characteristics. The benefits of CBPR have been described in recent review articles and conference reports, including:
* Overcoming the fragmentation and separation of individual from culture and context that are often evident in more narrowly defined, categorical research approaches;
* Establishing trust between communities and researchers;
* Improving the quality and validity of research by engaging local knowledge and local theory based on the experience of people involved;
* Enhancing the relevance of the research question, the quality and quantity of data gathered, and the relevance and use of the data;
* Facilitating the development and implementation of more effective public health interventions, including policy change;
* Joining partners with diverse skills, knowledge, expertise and sensitivities to address complex problems, including researchers from different disciplines and professions;
* Providing resources and possible employment opportunities for the communities involved;
* Identifying the health problems and priorities of local indigenous communities for inclusion in national health research systems
* Recognizing existing community resources and building community capacity to identify and conduct research; and
* Ultimately, improving the health and well-being of communities involved, directly through studying and addressing important community needs, and indirectly through increasing their power and control over the research process.

The Journal of Interprofessional Care, as an interprofessional and international peer-reviewed journal that is indexed in Medline, is in a unique position to advance health-related CBPR through a theme issue. To learn more about the journal, see http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13561820.html.

We seek only the following types of submissions for this theme issue:

(1) full-length manuscripts that present the methods and results of CBPR (for example: You conduct a CBPR study on asthma prevention, and write up the methods and results).

(2) full-length manuscripts that present original research about the practice and policy of CBPR (for example: You conduct a survey of faculty who are involved in CBPR in schools of medicine, nursing and public health, and write up the methods and results).

(3) brief reports (up to 500 words) about CBPR projects in either of the two categories above that are being launched, in progress, or do not warrant a full-length manuscript.

We will NOT consider, for example, editorials, commentaries, opinion pieces, or papers that report only the process of developing a CBPR project.

To be seriously considered, papers must involve an interprofessional group of authors. A priority will be placed on publishing papers that demonstrate the connections between interprofessional education, research and service through CBPR.

Papers submitted for the theme issue will undergo the Journal’s usual review process, with the additional considerations as described above. Prospective authors must follow the “instructions for authors”, available on the Journal’s website at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/13561820.html.

Papers not selected for the theme issue may be considered for publication in another issue of the Journal.

We are also interested in learning about any books on CBPR that are expected to be published between now and the Spring 2004 journal publication date, and any national or international conferences on CBPR that will be taking place after the Spring 2004 journal publication date. Space permitting, we plan to mention these resources in the theme issue. Please email any of the issue co-editors with your suggestions.

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact any of the the issue co-editors:

Anna Aret Eno
Faculty of Science, University of Yaounde
Yaounde, Cameroon
Phone: (237) 777 01 25
Email: aeno@uycdc.uninet.cm

Stacy L. Holmes
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
Seattle, WA
Phone: 206-543-7954
Email: slholmes@u.washington.edu

Sarena D. Seifer
Community-Campus Partnerships for Health
University of Washington School of Public Health and Community Medicine
Seattle, WA
Phone: 206-616-4305
Email: sarena@u.washington.edu

Citation and Other Resources

Israel BA, Schulz AJ, Parker EA, Becker AB. Review of community-based research: Assessing partnership approaches to improve public health. Annual Review of Public Health 1998;19:173-202. Available online at: http://publhealth.annualreviews.org/search.dtl

Community-Campus Partnerships for Health’s Community-Based Participatory Research Resources Web Page:
http://futurehealth.ucsf.edu/ccph/commbas.html