Current Reflections on Collaborative and Engaged Research

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to discuss the key elements of a meaningful research collaboration strategy between community-service organizations and academia. We discuss the challenges in developing an effective partnership, and we highlight current strategies for sustainable research partnerships between academia and community. To address the issue of effective partnership we include a case study to illustrate the connections among community-service organization contexts, by focusing on the research and capacity building infrastructure and specific forms of research education. Although the community-university relationship tends to push the work toward a consultant-driven model, this article emphasizes the need for a guiding framework to foster a more meaningful agenda for collaborative research in future.