Establishing the Psychometric Properties of Constructs in a Community-Based Participatory Research Conceptual Model

En los últimos años se observa una tendencia creciente hacia el desarrollo de prácticas que garanticen un acceso libre al conocimiento científico producido a través del aporte de fondos públicos. Este movimiento conocido como open access está ampliamente desarrollado en algunas disciplinas como la genética y la biología molecular, sin embargo en la antropología biológica su discusión es incipiente. El presente trabajo tiene por objetivo presentar algunas de las ventajas de esta política, tanto para los científicos como para la comunidad en general, y discutir un conjunto de aspectos prácticos que requieren ser considerados para la implementación del libre acceso a los datos (data sharing) en el seno de la antropología biológica. Particularmente, se discute acerca de la forma de obtención, almacenamiento, publicación y posterior uso de datos morfométricos en formato numérico, coordenadas 2 y 3D e imágenes digitales. Finalmente, se delinea una agenda de trabajo a fin de promover la discusión sobre el data sharing en nuestro país.Over the last two decades there has been an increased interest in promoting the open access to scientific databases, predominantly those obtained in the context of the publicly funded science system. The main objective of this contribution is to review the advantages of this policy for the scientists as well as the general public. We point out some issues regarding to data collection, storage and publication, which still remain to be solved in order to implement the policy of data sharing within biological anthropology. Particularly, we focus on traditional and geometric morphometric data, and the new technologies for gathering digital images in 2D and 3D. We finally outline a set of points that need to be addressed in order to promote the discussion about data sharing in Argentina.Instituto de Genética VeterinariaConsejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnica

Engage for Equity: Development of Community-Based Participatory Research Tools

We developed a set of four community-based participatory research (CBPR) partnership tools aimed at supporting community-academic research partnerships in strengthening their research processes, with the ultimate goal of improving research outcomes. The aim of this article is to describe the tools we developed to accomplish this goal: (1) the River of Life Exercise; (2) a Partnership Visioning Exercise; (3) a personalized Partnership Data Report of data from academic and community research partners; and (4) a Promising Practices Guide with aggregated survey data analyses on promising CBPR practices associated with CBPR and health outcomes from two national samples of CBPR projects that completed a series of two online surveys. Relying on Paulo Freire\u27s philosophy of praxis, or the cycles of collective reflection and action, we developed a set of tools designed to support research teams in holding discussions aimed at strengthening research partnership capacity, aligning research partnership efforts to achieve grant aims, and recalling and operationalizing larger social justice goals. This article describes the theoretical framework and process for tool development and provides preliminary data from small teams representing 25 partnerships who attended face-to-face workshops and provided their perceptions of tool accessibility and intended future use

Engage for Equity: A Long-Term Study of Community-Based Participatory Research and Community-Engaged Research Practices and Outcomes

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) and community-engaged research have been established in the past 25 years as valued research approaches within health education, public health, and other health and social sciences for their effectiveness in reducing inequities. While early literature focused on partnering principles and processes, within the past decade, individual studies, as well as systematic reviews, have increasingly documented outcomes in community support and empowerment, sustained partnerships, healthier behaviors, policy changes, and health improvements. Despite enhanced focus on research and health outcomes, the science lags behind the practice. CBPR partnering pathways that result in outcomes remain little understood, with few studies documenting best practices. Since 2006, the University of New Mexico Center for Participatory Research with the University of Washington\u27s Indigenous Wellness Research Institute and partners across the country has engaged in targeted investigations to fill this gap in the science. Our inquiry, spanning three stages of National Institutes of Health funding, has sought to identify which partnering practices, under which contexts and conditions, have capacity to contribute to health, research, and community outcomes. This article presents the research design of our current grant, Engage for Equity, including its history, social justice principles, theoretical bases, measures, intervention tools and resources, and preliminary findings about collective empowerment as our middle range theory of change. We end with lessons learned and recommendations for partnerships to engage in collective reflexive practice to strengthen internal power-sharing and capacity to reach health and social equity outcomes

Evaluating community-based participatory research to improve community-partnered science and community health

Community-based participatory research; community health research; health disparities; process issues Background: Since 2007, the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI) Policy Research Center (PRC) has partnered with the Universities of New Mexico and Washington to study the science of community-based participatory research (CBPR). Our goal is to identify facilitators and barriers to effective community academic partnerships in American Indian and other communities, which face health disparities. Objectives: We have described herein the scientific design of our National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded study (2009-2013) and lessons learned by having a strong community partner leading the research efforts. Methods: The research team is implementing a mixed-methods study involving a survey of principal investigators (PIs) and partners across the nation and in-depth case studies of CBPR projects. Results: We present preliminary findings on methods and measures for community-engaged research and eight lessons learned thus far regarding partnership evaluation, advisory councils, historical trust, research capacity development of community partner, advocacy, honoring each other, messaging, and finding. Conclusions: Study methodologies and lessons learned can help community academic research partnerships translate research in communities