An Overview of Participatory Action Research

This section is designed to orient and introduce organizations and their members to Participatory Action Research (PAR) and the role research can play in community organizing. The section includes activities that breakdown stereotypes of research and researchers, affirm the knowledge and the expertise of community members, and demystify the terms used in research. By learning more about PAR, your organization and members will be able to determine if PAR is right for you.  If it is, you will be ready to begin the process of planning your own PAR project.

Activity: 1.1 Breaking Down Stereotypes of Researchers

Purpose of Activity:

This activity is designed to challenge the stereotypes that are commonly held about research and researchers in order to reframe research as a process in which everyone can and should participate.  Participants will be introduced to the basic philosophy behind Participatory Action Research: that those most impacted by an issue should be able to design and conduct research about their community.

By the End of Activity Participants Will:

• Be able to break down stereotypes about research and expertise
• Learn that various types of knowledge exist within the group
• Learn that community knowledge and research is critical to changing policy and building power

Materials Needed:

Paper

Writing utensils

Poker chips (or pennies, paper clips, or jelly beans)

Butcher paper with definitions of types of knowledge

Key Terms:

Community knowledge

Knowledge from experience

Academic knowledge

Intended Participants:

Members and staff of your organization

Time Needed:

45 minutes

Part I: “What does a researcher look like?” (20 minutes)

Facilitator Instructions:

Part II: Chip Toss Activity (25 minutes)

Facilitator Instructions:

Everyone stand in a circle. Each person gets a hand full of chips (paperclips or pennies can work). Facilitator will read a statement. Tell participants that if the statement applies to you, throw a chip into the center of the circle:

Add a few that are specific to the issue you are working on. For example if you are working on gentrification:

Facilitators Instructions:

A. Explain that the pile of chips represents all the types of knowledge and ways of getting information that come from our daily lives. Everyone in the room already has plenty of knowledge, experience and skills to get information. And as a community we can support each other with different skills and can tap into our collective knowledge. And that’s all that research is. Everyone here is an expert on their own life experiences. All people do research in some form or another in their daily lives. It’s a matter of recognizing what you already do as research. Ask participants for comments and questions.

B. Explain that we can break down “information” through three different types of knowledge (have definitions on butcher paper)

• Community Knowledge—cultural practices and wisdom passed down for generations.
• Knowledge from Experience—what we learn and know from living and doing it.
• Academic Knowledge—published facts and data produced by research “professionals” usually from outside the community.

C. Summarize and discuss: Gathering community knowledge and knowledge from experience is the best way to get a picture of what’s really happening in our communities. Instead of allowing academics and policy makers to define the problems and solutions in our community, we need to do our own research, so that we can create policies that address what’s really happening in our communities.

D. Transition: this type of research is sometimes called “Participatory Action Research.” Next we are going to dig into the steps of how to do this kind of research in more detail.

Activity: 1.2 Components of Participatory Action Research (PAR)

Purpose of Activity:

This activity will introduce participants to key terms of Participatory Action Research (PAR). It is also designed to give participants an understanding of the major components and timeline of a PAR project so that your organization and members understand the overall process of conducting PAR.

By the End of Activity Participants Will:

• Learn key terms associated with Participatory Action Research (PAR)
• Learn the major components and timeline of a PAR Project

Materials Needed:

Answer key of terms and definitions (see Tool 1.1)

Papers with terms and definition (See Tool 1.2)

Sticky tack or tape

Key Terms:

Organizing Goal

Research Questions

Sample

Quantitative Data

Qualitative Data

Secondary Data

Data Collection

Data Entry

Data Analysis

Data Report Back

Research Findings

Policy Recommendations

Report Release

Intended Participants:

Members and Staff of your Organization

Time Needed:

30 minutes

Facilitator Instructions:

1) Before the training, print out each of the terms and definitions on a separate sheet of paper (see sample in Tool 1.1 and 1.2).

2) Prior to activity, attach the terms (just the terms not the definitions) to the wall in chronological order to form a research timeline.

3) At the beginning of the training, break trainees into 2-4 groups, and equally distribute the definitions amongst the groups.

4) Each group discusses and decides which definition matches which term and then places the definition under the term using the sticky tack or tape.

5) Once all terms are placed, bring all the groups back together and ask each group to read aloud the definitions they placed. Each group should explain why they matched the definition to the term.

6) If a definition is wrongly placed, ask the group if anyone has thoughts about whether the definition should be placed under and different term.  If no one offers an alternative, correct the wrong answer and explain the definition to clear up the misunderstanding.

7) After all the definitions are placed under the correct terms, pass out the handout: PAR Timeline, and walk through each of the steps in the timeline with participants.  Answer any questions that come up.

Tool: 1.1 Participatory Action Research (PAR) Terms and Definitions

Terms (Underlined) and Definitions (Italicized) (terms are in chronological order)

1. Organizing Goal: The overall change that you seek through your organizing work.
2. Research Questions: A set of broad, overarching, questions that you seek to answer through your research.
3. Sample: The specific set of people that you will talk to in order to answer your research questions.
4. Quantitative Data: Data that can be measured and is presented in numbers.  Usually collected through surveys.
5. Qualitative Data: Data that can be observed but not measured and is presented as stories or descriptions.  Usually collected through interviews or focus groups.
6. Secondary Data: Data that has already been collected and analyzed by somebody for some other reason other than your current study.
7. Data Collection: Process of gathering information (through surveys, focus groups, etc) in order to answer your research questions.
8. Data Entry: Process of entering data that is collected by researchers.
9. Data Analysis: The process of systematically reviewing the data you collect through surveys, interviews, focus groups, etc. in order to develop research findings and recommendations for your report.
10. Data Report Back: Process of presenting data you collected and analyzed back to the community or people you surveyed, interviewed, etc. to get their feedback.
11. Research Findings: The conclusions you draw from your data collection and analysis.
12. Policy Recommendations: The suggestions you make to elected officials, or people in power to fix the problems that you uncover with your research.
13. Report: A written document that summarizes your research findings and policy recommendations.
14. Report Release: The way in which you make your research public.  This could be a policy briefing, a press conference or by circulating your report online.

Tool: 1.2 PAR Terms and Definitions Matching Activity

This is a sample of the materials needed for Activity 2. Print all “Terms” listed in Activity 2 on separate sheet

Organizing Goal

The overall policy change that you seek through your organizing work

Tool: 1.3 Participatory Action Research (PAR) Timeline

Tool: 1.4 Principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR)

Debunks stereotypes of the research expert

• Challenges the myth that the “experts” are always from formal institutions;
• Views individuals and affected communities as experts;
• Promotes popular knowledge and experience as legitimate and significant;
• Involves affected communities and individuals at all levels of the research process and strategy development.

People-centered

• The process of research, inquiry, and analysis is informed by and responds to the experiences and needs of oppressed people;
• Research is an organizing and community-building tool and brings people together around common problems and needs.

Research to build power

• Develops collective knowledge, analysis and voice of community members on a given issue;
• Promotes growth of leadership from within a community;
• Transforms unequal and unjust power dynamics at the individual, collective, and systemic levels;
• Builds base of people that are engaged in a given social or political issue.

Action Oriented

• The research process and results promote informed and strategic action for positive social change;
• Research is publicly disseminated and used as a tool to influence policy makers and government officials.

Tool: 1.5 Is PAR Right for Your Organization or Community?

If you answered “yes” to most of the questions, then Participatory Action Research is right for your organization or community!  If you answered “no” to most of the questions, then you may want to focus on other types of work to achieve your organization or community’s goals.