Some values guiding community research and action.
Community work needs a code of conduct, and this paper hands you ten rules you can use today.
01Research in Context
What this study did
The author wrote a position paper. He listed ten values for doing behavior-analytic work in communities.
The paper is not a study with participants. It is a map for how researchers and citizens can plan, run, and share projects together.
What they found
The ten values say: start with the community’s own goals, share power, measure what matters to them, and stay humble.
The list gives teams a checklist to keep their science useful and fair.
How this fits with other research
Hobson (1987) made an earlier call to move outside clinics. Lowenkron (1991) answers that call by showing exactly how to act once you are outside.
Saunders et al. (2005) later scales the same idea to whole public-health systems. The three papers form one timeline: first, go out; next, partner well; finally, go big.
Watson-Thompson et al. (2022) uses the same ten-values spirit to fight systemic racism. They add ready-made tools, proving the 1991 list still grows.
Why it matters
If you run social-skills groups, parent classes, or staff training in schools, use the ten values as a meeting agenda. Ask clients what success looks like, let them help collect data, and publish results with their names on the poster. The paper gives you permission to slow down and share control, so your interventions last after you leave.
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02At a glance
03Original abstract
The dual purposes of applied research-contributing to understanding and improvement-are only partially served by method systems that encourage studying (with increasing precision) a narrow range of questions of modest societal importance. To optimize contributions to challenging societal problems, a field's cherished standards should be adapted to support more adventuresome forms of community research and action. This paper outlines 10 values for community research and action, based on insights from the fields of behavioral and community psychology. These values-reflect the goals and challenges of establishing collaborative relationships with research participants, determining research goals and methods, designing and disseminating interventions, communicating research findings, and advocating for community change. Critical challenges are outlined, and implications for the field and its clients are discussed.
Journal of applied behavior analysis, 1991 · doi:10.1901/jaba.1991.24-621