Separating Researcher

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Separating Researcher Activist Roles

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Why separate the roles?

• need to maintain credibility among consumers of
  research
• foundations
• government
• media
• community-based organizations
• local constituencies
• need to maintain credibility within the
  university
• collaborative research already suspect
• need to maintain accepted standards of research

3
Why separate the roles?

• maintain some level of objectivity
• yes, we do recognize the political nature of
  research, BUT
• if we are to be effective and credible in the
  research effort, there needs to be an ability to
  distinguish research and action

4
Why separate the roles?

• some level of objectivity, particularly work by
  university researchers provides the Good
  Housekeeping Seal of Approval on research
• this is an important political commodity
• researchers shouldnt jeopardize this
• community partners can pursue activist component
  of work using the quality research

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Why separate the roles?

• although the choice and design of a project may
  be political (as is the case with virtually all
  research), the role of strategist and advocate is
  different from that of researcher

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How do we separate the roles?

• a person can research in one area, not be an
  activist in that area, but can be an activist
  elsewhere

• different people perform different roles
• same person perform different roles at different
  times/places

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How do we separate the roles?

• recognize different kinds of research
• on specific community problems
• e.g. violence, racial discrimination, lack of
  quality affordable housing, job availability,
  etc.
• on different kinds of strategies to solve
  problems once they have been identified
• e.g. effectiveness of community organizing
  strategies, educational outreach, pressuring
  elected officials, public demonstrations, etc.

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However collaborative universitycommunity is
still research with a constituency

• collaboration in initial design means the
  research already has an expected end-use
• when research is completed there is an
  organization or community that will take it and
  run with it
• researchers are still available to guide,
  consult, and complete additional work