Research Partnerships

HWW centers methods of reciprocity and redistribution as strategies for realizing new knowledge from research-based projects. Below are suggestions for structuring relationships with partners and collaborators.

At the beginning of the project

Include collaborators in conversations about roles and responsibilities, and in developing research questions, goals, and outcomes.
Discuss how stakeholders would prefer to communicate, at what intervals, and how information will be collected and shared with the entire team.
Consider the impact of past engagement with researchers in your field(s), from universities, and from your background on collaborative dynamics.
Develop plans for professional development (e.g., training opportunities: anti-racism workshops; grant writing; project management) and mentoring (e.g., by team members or project participants).

During the project

Build in regular moments to check-in, evaluate, and potentially re-adjust the project.
Explore opportunities to build in training and resource sharing across all partners, including beyond skills explicitly required for the project.
Work to recognize and minimize inequalities in the inherent power hierarchies existing between institutions, communities, and individuals.
Find out about, and work within, community organizational structures, protocols, and leaders.

At the end of the project

Consider avenues for partnership, redistribution, and reciprocity beyond the life of the project.
Be open to opportunities that aren't limited to the project’s topic or methodologies.

Do Not:

Assume that expertise only exists within academic spheres.
Forget that trainings can be led by non-academic community partners for an academic audience.
Make assumptions about knowledge, aptitude, expertise, or interests based on skin color, gender, sexual orientation, or self-presentation.
Expect that all people share the same definitions and expectations around key concepts, practices, and responsibilities.
Rush conversations and decision-making to meet institutional deadlines or grant timelines.
Use prior experiences or work with community members, shared positionalities with collaborators, or good intent as a reason to opt out of joint decision-making or feedback processes.