Whose Knowledge Counts?
Listening, Learning, and Co-Creating Knowledge in Communities
Revisiting the Role of the Researcher
Before starting Cardinal Direction, most of my work took place directly in communities. That didn’t mean showing up only to recruit participants. It meant visiting older adult centers, giving educational talks at churches and libraries, and sitting in living rooms over coffee. I rarely collected data in my office, and only when a participant preferred it.
This approach wasn’t revolutionary; it was simply what qualitative research should be: rooted, relational, and contextually grounded. Those early experiences taught me how to develop rapport quickly, listen deeply, and view my presence as part of a relationship, not just a study protocol. These are the principles I apply when collaborating with community members on research.
Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is rooted in three essential principles: shared ownership, co-learning, and reciprocity. It asks us, as researchers, not only to study communities but also to work alongside them, recognizing that meaningful change happens when everyone at the table is valued as both a teacher and a learner.
However, to fully honor these principles, we must first ask an uncomfortable question: Whose knowledge counts in our research partnerships?
Own It: Admitting What We Don’t Know
Say it with me: “I don’t know everything — and that’s okay.”
This mindset is just as vital for researchers as it is for community leaders. Researchers bring theoretical frameworks and methodological expertise; community leaders bring lived experience and practical wisdom. Both are seeking solutions — but from different angles.
I’ve witnessed what happens when someone enters a room with an “I know it all” attitude: the conversation stalls, defensiveness rises, and collaboration falters. On the other hand, unrealistic expectations can also create tension, leading to broken promises or frustration when assumptions remain unexplored.
The solution is preparatory reflection. Before engaging in research partnerships:
· Take inventory of available resources (e.g., personal, monetary, environmental)
· Record what is already known
· Reflect on personal assumptions
· Brainstorm questions that align with shared goals
True partnership begins when all parties recognize a shared purpose: to enhance the quality of life for individuals, families, and the communities to which they belong.
Name It: Acknowledging Blind Spots and Power
Even with preparatory work, power dynamics inevitably emerge in research. They surface in who defines the questions, who collects the data, and whose stories are centered in the analysis.
When I conducted research with low-income, midlife Black women who were primary caregivers, I was an outsider. I was a white woman in my twenties with academic training and limited personal caregiving experience. My participants, however, lived that role every day. They were the experts.
Their insights went far beyond what any policy brief or theoretical model could capture. My job wasn’t to “extract” their stories — it was to listen, learn, and integrate their lived expertise with my professional knowledge to create something stronger together.
I learned invaluable lessons about my blind spots, which are shaped by my social privilege. For instance, before that experience, I hadn’t been in Section 8 housing. I was aware of the meaning and implications, but I had a limited understanding of what that meant for multigenerational families in terms of safety and structure. For several of the families I spoke with, they relied on stable housing and community services out of necessity rather than choice.
The trust and vulnerability of my participants made this collaboration possible. This work informed a publication that recommended changes to caregiving policies, recognizing the unpaid labor of informal caregivers. I could not have contributed meaningfully without their insights, courage, and generosity.
Acknowledging our blind spots allows us to bridge gaps between professional knowledge and lived experience. It creates space for mutual learning, ensuring research is informed by both evidence and the realities of everyday life. This is where innovation and meaningful impact truly emerge.
Change It: Turning Power into Partnership
Knowledge is power — but in community-based research, shared knowledge is transformative power.
CBPR turns collaboration into a superpower by combining the rigor of research with the wisdom of lived experience. While researchers without community buy-in can still conduct studies, and communities without researchers can still make progress, together, they create outcomes that are more efficient, equitable, and enduring.
Collaboration isn’t just ideal; it’s necessary. One-size-fits-all research models often fail to reach the people and homes that make up a community. Meanwhile, community leaders are being asked to do more with fewer resources. By listening, learning, and co-creating, researchers and communities can transform challenges into opportunities for sustainable change. CBPR isn’t just a method — it’s a mindset, a practice, and a commitment to shared impact.
A Tangible Takeaway
To help put these reflections into action, I’ve created a free Community Engagement Starter Kit. This practical resource includes a short checklist for examining positionality and power in your research partnerships.