Resources

A few introductory resources are provided here for those interested in learning more about Community Methods

Relational method

A video overviewing the Relational Method:

A video on how to undertake a relational meeting (filmed as part of an online training about relational meetings):

The relational method builds on organising’s tool of the relational meeting and key principles around public and private, which is explored in this memoir written by Amanda:

https://amandatatts.medium.com/scaling-change-on-making-change-big-and-small-4917efd881b1

For a background about community organising, which underpins the relational method, you can read this:

• On community organising and the birth of the Sydney Alliance: Tattersall, A. (2015). “The global spread of community organizing: how ‘Alinsky-style’ community organizing travelled to Australia and what we learnt?” Community Development Journal 50(3): 380–396.

Co-Design

Tattersall uses the phrase community methods, but plenty of researchers and policy makers use the term co-design to refer to this kind of work. Co-design is used in two ways, sometimes as an umbrella term to describe community participation in research and at other times to invoke specific ‘design methods.’ A collection of useful readings includes:

What it is?

On Co-Design: Blomkamp, E. (2018). “The Promise of Co-Design for Public Policy.” Australian Journal of Public Administration 77(4): 729–743. 

Listening to researchers talk about using co-design

Two ChangeMakers podcasts about co-design research with the Autistic Community: 

• Wenn Lawson, a life long-autistic researcher 
• Liz Pelicino, a world leading participatory research with Autistic communities 

A Practice guide

Practice guide for co-design wIth the Autistic Community

• den Houting, 2021 for AutismCRC: Participatory and Inclusive Autism Research Practice Guide 

On Participatory Action Research

Participatory Action Research (PAR) has its origins in post-World War II social science research, and is way in which many social science researchers describe community-led and engaged research. PAR has been adapted and added to by critical theorists, through innovations like Feminist Participatory Action Research

Overview of Participatory Action Research

Two papers overviewing PAR’s challenges and benefits: 

• A definition, history and review:
  https://www.participatorymethods.org/glossary/participatory-action-research 

• De Oliveira, B. (2023), “Participatory action research as a research approach: advantages, limitations and criticisms”, Qualitative Research Journal, Vol. 23 No. 3, pp. 287-297. https://doi.org/10.1108/QRJ-08-2022-0101  

Lived Experience

There is much discussion about lived experience when it comes to community methods. 

Overview

Illuminating Lived Experience – DOWNLOAD HERE 

This paper brings together a range of different perspectives on what lived experience means and the place of lived experience knowledge in research. It does not try to presume a “correct approach” but rather documents a range of different perspectives.

Valuing lived experience in research Funding and remuneration: guide for funding remuneration and reimbursement of health consumers: https://hcnsw.org.au/training-resources/resources/remuneration-and-reimbursement-of-health-consumers/