New article outlines what could be for next community-led action research in Scotland
/This article was featured in the SCDC Weekly - 6th March 2024.
Community-led action research is an approach that sees communities deciding what issues needs to be researched, designing and carrying out the research themselves, and making use of the results to affect positive change.
It’s a longstanding tool for change in communities and in this piece our Deputy Director, David Allan, outlines what needs to happen to realise the full potential of community-led action research in Scotland.
Over recent years there’s been a range of recent activity and programmesbuilding the evidence base to support this approach. We’ve also seen a significant shift in academia and from funders and government towards supporting community involvement and engagement in research.
With communities taking the lead, it’s also a tool that can be used to realise Scotland’s policy ambitions and redress the balance of power around knowledge and decision making.
To help that happen, we’d like to see community-led action research endorsed by key stakeholders across the public, academic and third sectors - and further resources and ways to capture shared learning.
Is community-led action research an approach whose time has come? We think so.
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