Participatory Research Workshop

The method of participatory research is central to our approach. Participatory research differs from conventional research in a number of key areas including:

• who initiates and controls the research
• how the research question is defined
• how and by whom research is conducted
• how and by whom results are interpreted
• the ways in which research results are used in action.

This highly interactive four-hour workshops, is intended for a mix of community members and professional researchers, to explore the value of a participatory research approach to community problem solving. Participatory research is a democratic method for identifying information needs, and then producing, collecting, and analyzing information. It is research conducted in direct response to opportunities and constraints framed by a community. While professional researchers may play an important role in participatory research, community members, themselves, are engaged in the process of gaining and creating the knowledge they need to make the changes they desire. Participatory research is not research done to a community, but research done by a community collaborating with researchers. Workshop participants explore research approaches from conventional to participatory, identify key areas of difference, reflect on the potential value of a more participatory approach to ongoing and planned research efforts, and receive a copy of What Is Participatory Research and Why Does It Matter? - a compendium of articles about participatory research theory and practice.

Pervious workshops have been hosted by the Farmington, Maine Soil and Water Conservation District, the Middle Ground Collaborative, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Paul Smiths College, USDA Forest Service Northeast Research Station, and the New Hampshire Rural Development Council. 

" The workshop has generated lots of conversation around campus."    -State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry workshop participant 

"Thanks for a thought-provoking workshop....  I found the workshop helpful in clarifying the differences between participatory and other types of research" - Jamie Ervin 

"Thanks for a very interesting program.......I appreciated the clear and participatory approach. The material you offered will find their way into some classes I teach at the University of Vermont." - Patricia Stokowski 

To arrange a workshop in your area, call or email the National Community Forestry Center, Northern Forest Region c/o Yellow Wood Associates, St. Albans, VT at 800-727-5404 or yellowwood@yellowwood.org