The participatory action research methodology used in Centre research projects has been developed by Eileen Pittaway and Linda Bartolomei. It is a method developed for use with community groups, and was strongly informed by input from refugee women from community based organizations on the Thai-Burma Border. They requested that human rights and gender training be provided as part of the research process, and that they themselves be trained to undertake their own research projects.

The focus of the reciprocal research method is the collection of information from often vulnerable populations in a way that is empowering, that is not harmful or exploitative, and that has the potential to bring about social change. It is very effective for use with marginalized and disadvantaged groups. The reciprocal nature of the method transforms people from subjects of research to participants in research. It moves from the notion of ‘harm minimisation' as the ethical base of research to the notion of reciprocal benefit, and from researcher-directed projects and outcomes, to participant- and community-directed outcomes.

In this model of participatory action research, training in human rights provides a context to guide participants through an examination and articulation of issues of concern to their communities. The human rights training is the springboard for subsequent situational analysis by the participants. ‘Story circles' are used to enable participants to share stories relating to particular issues, positioned within the human rights framework. The research process then moves from a focus on personal experience to situational analysis and problem solving. This involves a ‘Storyboard' technique, in which participants use a series of drawings to conduct situational analyses including proposals for action, response and interventions. The storyboarding technique was introduced to the Centre by Carol Shaw.

Storyboarding can and has been used with people of all levels of education, including people who are pre-literate. Working in small groups, participants focus on one of the issues from the story circles, and prepare a series of posters which illustrate and analyse the issue. The focus is not on artistic ability, but on preparing a clear message to be presented to the larger groups.

Storyboards are used to explore the nature of an issue, its impact on communities, identification of existing relevant services or service gaps, potential solutions to identified problems including which individuals or groups may be able to assist, and hoped-for outcomes.

The Storyboard technique allows participants to name problems and issues within their communities in a positive and empowering environment. It recognises the skills, knowledge and experience and human rights of participants. The underlying premise is that all people have capabilities and capacity to understand and analyse community issues if the resources are available to support them.

Key to the success of the methodology is verbatim documentation, which provides rich data for reflection and analysis, to facilitate necessary iterative changes during the consultations, and for subsequent research analysis.

A positive outcome of this process of reciprocal research occurs when the researched community is given the opportunity to present outcomes of the consultations to service providers, NGOs and other people in power. The storyboards are an excellent communication vehicle and the facilitators can assist the groups to prepare their presentations. Often this is the first time that the researched group will have had the opportunity to interact with those who have power over their lives.

Author:	Simon Trevaks (via theBox)
Created:	30/08/2012
Updated:	30/08/2012
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