Community knowledge

Community knowledge describes a supportive environment that values cooperative,

inclusive, engaging behaviour. Community knowledge is a means of exchanging

ideas, information, and networking, which reveals diversity and promotes participation. Linking the categories and personal, information & computing and health professional mapped the partners’ increased awareness and demonstrated an

enriched experience of and engagement with MyHR:

[U]sually within a community people talk, so if one person is convinced it’s the right way to go they’ll convince others and through experience you’ll grow (CH14).

During interviews and group meetings in phase three of the data collection, the research community were asked to reflect on how and why they may have benefitted from the research. Analysis indexed the data to three labels, charted to community knowledge, and mapped to the theme knowledge. These are presented in Table 28,

which links them to the research objectives and provides a brief description of each label, category, and theme. A research perspective and an example of narrative follow.

Table 28. Community

THEME Description

KNOWLEDGE Familiarity, awareness or capability with or of something or someone

gained through experience and education

Category

Community knowledge Social learning; empowerment; enabling; awareness; communication Research

objective

Label

Ro1.2.3 Community benefits from

research Experience, information, understanding improvement, opportunity, connection, support, change, engagement, familiarity Ro1.2.3 Research benefits from

community

Feedback, opportunity, learning together, real-world community views Ro1.2.3 Community role for

MyHR Raising awareness, support

Community benefits from research labelled the input of and connection with the research experience, information, and support that has provided an opportunity to engage with the information on a personal level and share in community knowledge.

Community benefits from research indexed:

[T]he value [is] you’re listening to a lot of people’s opinions. I think you know with any undertaking as a whole, community benefits more than just one person speaking out …. You have to speak to the people so these community, what do you call them, workshops, where you ask the questions, then you’ll get the feedback that’s required and bring about change. (CHFG3).

This is an opportunity for ourselves working as a community to bring our comments and skills together and provide structured research feedback and hopefully bring about change. (OFG3). 

This is also evident from the researcher’s journal notes recorded at the time:

There was a different level of communication and commitment. The familiarity at groups meetings demonstrated, an understanding of each other, there was a lot more free talk and open discussion. The groups talked as a research community, thinking about their health and healthcare provision in a different way. The research has provided a focal point.

When the research community identified with their research, they recognised the value of community participation and the empowering change it made to all partners. Research benefits from community provides evidence and further validates the philosophy, CBPR principles, and research design:

I know from teaching, it’s exciting at the beginning, start from where they are with lots of feedback and opportunities for reflection sort of things…I think this research is great, everybody likes to be involved and feel they have an opportunity to give to….We’re starting and learning together the same as learning computer together you share so much (CHFG3). [T]his is good we’ve all got different skills and different attitudes …I have my own views and I respect everybody else’s views (CHFG3).

[I]f you’re consulted you have the actual point of view rather than the perceived point of view. …. I agree, I think so with any research then at least you’ve had your input, an opportunity (LFG3).

You need as much info as possible I think getting a story is getting as much information as possible. By asking a question you’re getting the information on those lines …I think the community is very underestimated by people doing research…there is a lot of good brains out there (OFG3).

Research benefits from community provided personally and contextually significant, feedback, opportunity, learning together, community skill and views, which value and justify personal and community commitment, participation and provision toward better research outcomes.

Community role for the MyHR was indexed from reflection of experience of and engagement with MyHR. The research community respects that this may be contradictory to the opinions of a wider community:

I think a lot of my hippy friends will see it [MyHR] as big brotherish, rather than helpful … For me, now I don’t have to apply to big brother to look at my [MyHR]. That’s good. I’m all for knowing stuff it makes it easier (CH1).

MyHR requires critical mass to be effective. The research community valued the support provided during the research. The narratives provide evidence of the usefulness of community facilitation in the implementation of MyHR: 

How many have got on [MyHR] because of this research? People need help with it (CH11). I just think an important part of the whole process will be having help (CH12).

More people I’m sure would adopt it [MyHR]. Consumers can encourage the professionals about it [MyHR], they’ll see there is a demand for it [MyHR] …it [facilitation] increases their awareness (CH14).

The data indexed three labels: community benefits from research, research benefits

from community, and community role for MyHR, charted to community knowledge.

Community knowledge charted a supportive, cooperative, inclusive, and engaging

environment. It encouraged networking opportunities and an exchange of skills and

information that valued and promoted community participation. Community

knowledge requires personal engagement and participation to assist proactively

increased awareness and changed attitudes toward information & computing and health professional. The category community knowledge provided insight into the

value of being exposed, informed, and involved in community knowledge activities to

maintain, challenge, or expand knowledge.