CSI's Dr. Scott Rosas Co-authors Concept Mapping and Photovoice Research Methods Publication
Residents of the St. Jamestown neighborhood of Toronto
A special volume on Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) in the journal Family and Community Health includes a recent publication featuring the use of CSI's concept mapping as a method for facilitating action-oriented research with neighborhood residents. Co-authored by Dr. Nasim Haque of the Wellesely Institute in Toronto, Canada and Dr. Scott Rosas of CSI, this article details the innovative merging of two participatory research methods: photovoice and concept mapping using the Concept System, within the context of a large CBPR initiative.
Photovoice (an arts-based CBPR process that engages people to identify, represent, and convey specific issues through pictures and storytelling) was used as the primary mechanism for identification of key neighborhood factors that influence immigrant residents' health and well-being. Concept mapping was then used as a mechanism to create a forum for discussion, build consensus, organize the factors, and move forward the photovoice work of immigrant residents.
The two methods were integrated and sequenced to enhance participation of neighborhood residents, expand interpretation of visual information, and develop a consensus framework of health impacting factors in an urban inner city neighborhood. The details found in this article may be useful for those looking for ways creatively and meaningfully to engage community stakeholders in participatory research, at the same time maintaining a structured and rigorous approach.
The article's full citation and abstract can be found on our publications page.
