3 Tips for Building Relationships in the Community You’d Like to Study
It’s important to take the time to build a number of relationships with the residents of the community you’re proposing to study. Whether it’s a pilot study proposal, or a larger grant-funded study, the resources and cooperation created by relationship development are keys to a successful outcome.
Here are three places to go when you’re trying to build trust and relationships within a community:
Go to school
If you’re planning a pilot study that involves pediatric patients, try attending school board meetings. Talk to parents. Community issues are often discussed in addition to school issues, and people involved in their children’s school are often involved elsewhere in the community, creating more doorways of opportunity.
Go to church
Churches play a big part in Chicago’s South Side communities, and often have health ministries or health advisory boards that can help you understand what the surrounding community’s biggest health issues and concerns are.
Go to health fairs
Community health fairs are a great place to find out what’s of most interest or importance to the community members with whom you want to do collaborative research.
And don’t forget…
The ITM has an entire Community Cluster, full of resources and expertise that investigators can utilize while planning or carrying out community-based research. If you’d like more information, contact Chartay Robinson at crobinson1@medicine.bsd.uchicago.edu
Tips courtesy of Connie Robinson, RN, MBA, MSN; Research Subject Advocate