Open AccessClinical and Translational Research and Community Engagement: Implications for Researcher Capacity Building
Author(s) -
Martinez Linda Sprague,
Russell Beverley,
Rubin Carolyn Leung,
Leslie Laurel K.,
Brugge Doug
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
clinical and translational science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.303
H-Index - 44
eISSN - 1752-8062
pISSN - 1752-8054
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-8062.2012.00433.x
Subject(s) - translational research , focus group , community engagement , qualitative research , nonprobability sampling , capacity building , public relations , community based participatory research , research design , sociology , medicine , participatory action research , political science , social science , environmental health , population , pathology , anthropology , law
Abstract This research sought to better understand how clinical and translational research is defined and perceived by community service providers. In addition, the research sought to elicit how the perspectives of service providers may hinder or facilitate collaborative research efforts. The study employed a qualitative methodology, focus groups. A nonprobability sampling strategy was used to recruit participants from three neighborhoods in the Tufts University’s catchment area. Focus group findings add to the nascent body of literature on how community partners view clinical and translational research and researchers. Findings indicate that cultural disconnects, between researchers and community partners exist, as does mistrust, all of which serve as potential barriers to community research partnerships. This paper suggests rethinking the business of community engagement in researcher, particularly as it relates to building research capacity to approach, engage, and partner with communities. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 329–332