Collaborating for Change: Community-Based Research and Political Advocacy

This article explores the history, methods, use, and impact of existing community-based research in the University of Utah and Salt Lake City communities in order to identify weaknesses that might be best addressed by structural changes within the University or communities. This kind of research is used in informing policy, political activism, and advocacy. In addressing these issues, the authors discuss their findings from their research project: a community dialogue event that brought together community members, representatives of organizations working in both community and University of Utah settings, faculty, students, and staff from the University of Utah, and policymakers to discuss strategies and benefits of institutionalizing support for community-based research at the University of Utah to benefit the community and University students and faculty alike. Members of the Think Tank on Social Change developed and facilitated this dialogue to address the gap between theory and application of community-based research; namely, that the research findings are not being disseminated in a way to effectively inform advocacy and activism for policy change relevant to the research. Emerging themes from the community dialogue are addressed, and recommendations for improvement in the use of community-based research identified