Academic researchers roles in implementing participatory action research

Academic researchers’ roles in implementing participatory action research to promote HIV prevention among youth Keiko Goto, Ph. D. – Cornell University and California State University/Chico Jennifer Tiffany, Ph. D. – Cornell University Gretel Pelto, Ph. D. – Cornell University Issues: Participatory approaches, including participatory action General roles taken on by academic researchers: research (PAR), are increasingly used within HIV prevention Work as facilitators with participants, addressing and analyzing initiatives for youth. Academic research partners’ actual and potential problems together for action (Ladipo 2002, Forester, 1999) roles in community-based projects have not yet been fully explored. “The initiator”, “the consultant”, or “the collaborator” ( Stoecker, Description: Cornell University served as a technical partner with 2003) UNICEF in its “What Every Adolescent Has a Right to Know” (RTK) Academic researchers’ roles within RTK: HIV prevention initiative. Youth peer educators and program Assistance to national teams in developing, refining and managers from youth organizations involved with the RTK initiative implementing their PAR plans through country support teams participated in training about theory and practice of PAR facilitated by university researchers. The first author provided on. On-site support at regional/country training going technical assistance on PAR as well as observing the evolution On-site technical assistance/research in PAR of the initiative in a Caribbean country. The research process was Development of resource materials, guiding documents and tools mainly structured by UNICEF and conducted by youth researchers. Conduct study of PAR process, including interviews with research Participating organizations developed various uses of PAR within their participants, youth researchers, and project managers organizational contexts. Facilitation of reflection on lessons learned; theory building Lessons learned: The academic researchers’ roles included fostering reflection upon and analysis of the PAR process, as well as more conventional technical assistance activities. We discovered that Theory building: Three types of PAR participants had different perspectives on PAR. Subsequent uses of Objectives of Who feels a Role of Who takes action PAR in organizational contexts included needs assessment, peer PAR need for PAR researcher participants education and community mobilization. PAR was defined rather Action. Discuss and Participants and Facilitator Agent of Participants and informally in contrast to academic conceptualizations. The oriented PAR solve problems researchers change researchers incorporation of PAR techniques was sustained within organizations after the RTK initiative was terminated. Research. Gather researchers Researcher Informant Researchers using Recommendation: Examining how the PAR process unfolds while oriented PAR information findings providing technical assistance in adapting PAR to needs identified within specificl contexts can be one of the ways academic Education. Educate researchers Educator/ Learner Participants as oriented PAR participants facilitator learners researchers can contribute to both theoretical and practical development of PAR. For more information/correspondence, please contact: Keiko Goto, Ph. D. <kgoto@csuchico. edu> Acknowledgements: The authors thank the staff and participants of the UNICEF RTK initiative, the Cornell RTK Working Group, and everyone who made this work possible, including in particular: David Pelletier, Jude-Marie Alexis Smalec, Ken Legins, Penny Campbell, Sara Sywulka, and Helene Gregoire.