Community Based Research

Community-based research (CBR) has emerged over the past decade as a more comprehensive and participatory approach to traditional higher education research. It is a particular research model in which community organizations, schools, residents and civic leaders partner with academic researchers (faculty, academic staff and students) to produce knowledge that is used for the benefit of the community. In contrast to earlier research practices in which community members were simply “human subjects” and passive recipients of information, community-based research values the local community’s perspectives and engagement at each phase of the research project.

Unlike traditional academic research, CBR is collaborative and change-oriented and finds its research questions in the needs of communities with the purpose of solving a pressing community problem or effecting social change.

How can students get involved?

You can either take a course that has a community based research component or participate in a project with a specific community partner with funding support from our Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowship Program.

Find out more!

Download our Service-Learning and Community-Based Research Manual for Community Partners available in PDF format.

Questions?

Contact Randy Wallar at jrwallar@wisc.edu or 608-262-5781.