Co-production requires dismantling existing power hierarchies. As such, it can support decolonising knowledge generation and fostering inclusive and equitable relationships with diverse (and at times) marginalised actors participating in health governance, research and decision-making. Decolonising knowledge production recognises that expertise lies with those communities directly affected by health inequities and challenges as well as other […]
Decolonising health research requires a shift to inclusive processes, and actively engaging with communities. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) fosters collaboration among communities, researchers, and implementers to produce contextual knowledge for action. Enhancing co-production skills and competencies has been shown to improve research quality and validity, while CBPR principles have been developed, limited guidance exists on […]
“I do not know where I should go” Barriers in Using Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare by Male Adolescents in Bangladesh: Findings From Mixed Method Study This poster by Muhammad Riaz Hossain was presented at the National Adolescent Health Conference in Bangladesh. It was funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands project titled ‘Understanding Sexual […]
Menstrual Hygiene Management in Informal Urban Settlements in Dhaka: Conversations around taboo, stigma and challenges This poster by Adrita Rahman was presented at the National Adolescent Health Conference in Bangladesh. The poster won first prize at this national event.
Authors: Farzana Manzoor, Wafa Alam, Imran Hossain, Nadia Farnaz, Bachera Aktar, Sabina Faiz Rashid Objective To explore different forms of social capital networks, exist in urban slums of Dhaka, Bangladesh and how these social capital networks were helpful during the pandemic. Method A cross-sectional study with a qualitative approach was conducted in three urban slums […]
W. Alam, BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh Background Vaccine hesitancy – ‘delay in acceptance or reluctance or refusal to vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services’ – It is identified as one of the ten major threats to global health in 2019 Bangladesh started its COVID-19 vaccination drive […]
N. Farnaz, F. Manzoor, W. Alam, B. Aktar, S. F. Rashid | BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University Dhaka, Bangladesh Background Community Health Workers (CHWs) bridge the gap between communities living in urban informal settlements and formal health systems 130,000 CHWs employed in Bangladesh – 50,000 by the government, 50,000 in […]
Bachera Aktar (bachera.aktar@bracu.ac.bd), BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK Background One-third of the population of Dhaka city, the capital of Bangladesh, live in slums (BBS, 2015) which are often left out of urban planning and development (Banks, 2011). There is a lack […]
Slum dwellers are at increased risk of intimate partner violence and HIV as they cope with the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects. Background People in informal settlements face disproportionally high risk of ill-health, including HIV & intimate partner violence (IPV). Shocks, like the COVID-19 pandemic and the resultant economic and social lockdowns, interrupt existing services […]
For many slum-dwellers, state relocation programmes are probably the only gateway to moving out of dangerous living conditions. But has their wellbeing improved after moving out? Do their lives improve? Do their aspirations change? Do their perceptions about life change? Download poster
Involving community researchers and the broader community in the development and validation of priorities, study tools, data collection processes, data analysis, interpretation and action planning is important to the quality of the CBPR process. Consistently engaging the community in monitoring the progress of community activities and gaining their reflexive accounts of the actions ensures rigour within the research process.
Capacities (competencies and conditions)
●Awareness of trustworthiness criteria that draw on critical epistemologies
●Ability to assess and develop contextualised code of research ethics including safeguarding
●Capacity to undertake validation exercises with stakeholders and the wider community to ensure the study is relevant, accepted and supported
●Ongoing learning, quality assessment and safeguarding assessment
●Capacity to contextualise research materials that value local ways of knowing and knowledge production
●Knowledge on how to engage in and apply reflexivity, considering positionality with regard to research findings, to strengthen rigour and trustworthiness
●Ability to triangulate different sources of information to determine research priorities, approach and actions
●Rigorous research findings which draw on trustworthiness criteria
●Generalisable research processes that can enhance CBPR techniques
●Community based research that is robust and adds value to communities, policies and practices
●Community members learn research skills, gain access to resources, and find ways to legitimate their knowledge, which have previously been limited by a history of exclusionary research practices
●After the research partnership has undertaken a process of prioritisation, and before conceptualising the research, validate the priorities and incorporate additional context to increase trustworthiness in the process
●Design research analysis and interpretation procedures that involve community researchers and associated stakeholders
●Have an outsider to help increase the rigour and real and perceived validity of the research
●Conduct data interpretation sessions to discuss interpretations, add context to information collected, and facilitate a better understanding of project documentation
●Triangulate data sources and add participant checking
●Undertake co-analysis activities with co-researchers and stakeholders
●Increase the reliability of the study by developing and using a case study protocol and a chain of evidence
●Design survey and interview questions that are culturally aligned enhancing the fit of the research with the implementing context
●Identify relational and situated ethical and safeguarding concepts and approaches that best fit the specific context and the process-oriented nature of CBPR (25)
●Constructive negotiation with gatekeeping bodies such as funders and research ethics committees to increase understanding of appropriate approaches
●Engage co-researchers and community members during the research tool preparation to cover all the essential aspects of the research including safeguarding risks
Utilise quality criteria to evaluate the CBPR process – see Springett, Atkey (26) and Sandoval, Lucero (27
●Documentation on the translation and adaptation of the materials and quality assurance processes through minutes and notes on discussions and engagement within the team and with stakeholders
●Documentation of research validation processes
●Documentation of discussion during triangulation of findings
●Case studies/stories/blogs that show reflexivity processes
●Peer reviewed publications
●Audio or notes from community validation processes
●NVivo or other screenshots showing quality checking processes
●Development and use of a case study protocol and the development of a database and a chain of evidence to improve reliability of the study
*Please note that some statements are adaptations or direct quotes from the papers listed in the reference section