Build Bridges, Not Walls: A Field Guide for University Researchers Partnering with Communities for Transformative Research

Preciado, Emanuel Build Bridges, Not Walls: A Field Guide for University Researchers Partnering with Communities for Transformative Research. [Teaching Resource]

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Abstract

Drawing from collaborative experiences with frontline communities in Southern California and Indigenous Nations in Northern Arizona, this resource responds directly to community requests for practical guidance on respectful and effective university-community partnerships. The guide's vision centers on authentic reciprocity, shared power, and sustained relationships that extend beyond project timelines. Rather than treating communities as research subjects, this framework positions residents as co-researchers and knowledge holders whose expertise is essential for addressing complex social and environmental challenges. The guide challenges neoliberal academic structures that prioritize rapid publication over community benefit, offering alternative approaches grounded in research justice principles. The purpose of this guide is to equip researchers with concrete tools, frameworks, and reflection processes that support genuinely transformative partnerships. By bridging academic rigor with community priorities, this guide aims to cultivate research relationships that strengthen community capacity while generating knowledge that serves collective liberation and social justice.

Item Type:	Teaching Resource
Keywords:	Community Based Research; Community Driven; Community Led; Field Guide; Participatory Research; Research Justice;
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > G Geography (General)
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit:	College of Social and Behavioral Science > Geography, Planning and Recreation
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2026 21:24
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2026 21:24
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6365

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