Reflections on a community and university research collaboration

Abstract

Objective: This paper reflects on the collaborative research relationship between university and community researchers. It identifies emergent themes expressed in the words of researchers and recommends strategies to assist with other research collaborations.

Conclusions: Emergent themes included: Initial reticence by community members followed by positive experiences; the value of empowerment frameworks in research; building trust between community and university researchers; capacity building, management, and workloads; and community politics, misunderstandings and wealth disparity. The paper recommends strategies for successful research collaborations and identifies challenges to research collaborations.