Past Sessions

This event took place May 13th at the Aabijijiwan New Media Lab and May 14th at Merchants Corner

The second Community-Based Research (CBR) Summer Institute built on the success of the inaugural CBR Summer Institute providing hands-on workshops, in-depth discussions, and networking opportunities around community-based research. With support from the Manitoba Research Alliance we were able to provide travel funding for several students from Brandon University and the University College of the North.

May 13th began with an introduction to CBR presented by Dr. Julie Chamberlain and a keynote presentation from Vanessa Tait on respectful relationships with First Nations communities. The morning sessions concluded with a panel discussion featuring Angela Ciceron, Lily Kyle, Sharifat Makinde, & Holly Scotland who shared their experiences as students supporting or leading community-based research projects. The programing concluded in the afternoon with a direct skill building workshop on conducting surveys with Aynslie Hinds.

May 14th opened with a session on designing CBR projects led by Dr. Julie Chamberlain and Dr. Christine Mayor. Followed by a panel discussion on ethics, disability, and CBR which featured Johnathan Bevan, Bre Brown, & Lindsay McCombe. The final session of the Summer Institute was a workshop led by Jess Klassen & Megan Marquez which focused on knowledge mobilization.

You can read more about the 2024 CBR Summer Institute and find photos by following this link.

This session took place in-person at Merchants Corner (541 Selkirk Ave) on February 9th, 2024

This three hour workshop led by Dr. Amelia Curran and Brianne Selman gave participants a hands-on opportunity to learn about conducting systematized literature reviews. It covered theoretical and practical material such as the different types of literature review, how to construct search strings, track resources, organize material, take notes, citational justice, amongst other things. Participants were given a collection of resources and templates to help guide future literature reviews. 

This session took place in-person at Merchants Corner on January 26th, 2024

This lunchtime presentation from Dr. Laura Funk reflected on her recent path into community-based research and the anxieties and opportunities that have emerged. This talk looked questions such as: how did the practice of CBR measure up to her understanding going in; what precipitated the shift towards CBR at this point in her career; what surprises have emerged; and what sort of personality or skillset lends itself to CBR? 

Laura Funk is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Manitoba, and a critical and social gerontologist who has explored issues of aging, dying, and paid and unpaid care work, primarily using qualitative and interpretive methodologies. She also teaches a graduate course in qualitative methods. In addition, she is currently involved in two community-based research projects – one focused on housing for Indigenous seniors in Winnipeg, and another documenting the impacts and context of the sale of Lions Place, an independent seniors building formerly owned by a non-profit organization.

This session took place in-person at UWinnipeg on November 14th, 2023 

Community-based research is practiced in a wide range of subject areas and is often interdisciplinary, yet CBR researchers don’t always connect across the borders of disciplines and methods. This discussion organized in collaboration with UWinnipeg Research Week provided an opportunity for engagement and exchange between researchers in different fields who have a shared interest in deep community collaborations that are equitable, reciprocal, and create positive change. Joining the discussion was Dr. Ryan Bullock (Canada Research Chair in Human-Environment Interactions), Dr. Nora Casson (Canada Research Chair in Environmental Influences on Water Quality), & Dr. Shauna MacKinnon (Principal Investigator for the Manitoba Research Alliance). The conversation was moderated by Dr. Julie Chamberlain (Urban and Inner-City Studies and Co-lead of the CBRTC), with a focus on engaging conversation about what is the same, different, and possible across research topics.

This session took place October 25th, 2023 at 541 Selkirk Ave (Merchants Corner). 

Participants joined students in Urban and Inner-City Studies (UIC) at 541 Selkirk Ave for a lecture and discussion about community-based and participatory approaches to research, with a focus on the inner city. Participants learned about the principles of CBR, and how they relate to participatory, action, and Indigenous research approaches. Together exploring examples from inner city contexts in Winnipeg, Saskatoon & Vancouver, thinking critically about the possibilities and costs of participation. This session brought people into a public class of “ Doing Research in the Inner City” taught by Dr. Julie Chamberlain.

About the course: UIC-2050 Doing Research in the Inner City is a 12-week course offered in the department of UIC at the University of Winnipeg. Students examine theory, approaches, and methods of urban research, focusing on inner-city and community contexts. Students learn to select, apply, and practice hands-on methods, and gain skills relevant for careers in academic, community-based, policy, and professional fields. Topics include anti-racist, Indigenous, and feminist approaches to research, power dynamics and ethical considerations, critical and community-based approaches to research design, and the communication and mobilization of research results.

This two-day summer institute for students and community researchers took place on June 19th and 20th 2023. Held in-person at Merchant’s Corner (541 Selkirk Ave) sessions included hands on learning about literature reviews and interviews in CBR projects, as well as discussions of CBR principles, common issues, ethics, and project experiences of students and community members. You can find a short story on it by following this link.

June 19^th began with a introductory sessions on what CBR is with Julie Chamberlain. This was followed by a panel discussion on student stories from and advice on doing CBR projects with Joel Templeman, Sonja Stone, and Sheldon Valiquette. While concluding with a hands-on workshop on doing interviews with Kimberley Moore of the Oral History Centre.

June 20th started with a skill building session on conducting interviews with Dr. Amelia Curran and Brianne Selman, the Scholarly Communications and Copyright Librarian at The University of Winnipeg. Together they provided a comprehensive guide and set of resources for approaching literature reviews especially in the context of CBR. After lunch a panel discussion with Chelsea Bannatyne, Dr. Chantal Fiola, Dr. Shauna MacKinnon, and Kathy Mallett, O.M. discussed navigating insider and outsider relationships in research. They described the ways in which they have felt like insiders or outsiders while doing CBR and shared insights on the responsibilities this creates for researchers. The two days of programming then concluded with a keynote presentation from Fadi Ennab on the role of advocacy in CBR and how to navigate pushback.

This session took place March 8th, 2023 at the University of Winnipeg and online through Zoom.

This panel discussion featured Tammy Nelson, Dr. Jacqueline Romanow, and Larissa Wodtke, with moderation from Dr. Julie Chamberlain. They discussed what it means to decolonize research and how this connects to community-based research. Sharing their perspectives on what decolonization means, the responsibilities this places on researchers, and how they integrate both decolonization and community into their research.

This session took place November 23rd at the Oral History Centre located on the second floor of the University of Winnipeg

This discussion with Kimberley Moore was an opportunity to discuss more in-depth questions about doing oral history. Why do people do it? What kind of source is it? What is it good for/used for? How are oral history interviews different from other interviews?

This session took place November 16th at the Oral History Centre located on the second floor of the University of Winnipeg

Brett Lougheed, Kimberley Moore, and Kent Davies led an info-session on Oral History. They provided a broad starting point for what Oral History is, and the role of the UW Oral History Centre (OHC) on campus and in the community.

This session took place October 5th at the University of Winnipeg and remotely through Zoom.

How do you bring an advisory committee together? How do you ensure it is empowered and effective?

This session saw Molly McCracken, director of the Manitoba branch of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, lead an hour-long discussion on advisory committees. Drawing on Molly’s experience working with and sitting on advisory committees, this session looked at what you need to know about them. What questions will ensure they can do their work effectively and what challenges might you encounter?

This session was recorded and can be viewed here.

This session took place September 28th at the University of Winnipeg

The session asked what does it mean for relationships in research to extend beyond and between projects? To be grounded in respect and reciprocity?

Through a conversation between Annetta Armstrong, Josie Hill, Julie Chamberlain, and Shauna MacKinnon case studies and reflections on doing research grounded in reciprocal relationships were shared. Stories old and new were explored that highlighted the meaningful connections that make community-based research fulfilling. 

This session was held in person at the University of Winnipeg.

This session took place April 6th, 2022

This presentation was based on Fadi Ennab’s lived experiences as a cultural broker and researcher with Syrian refugee youth. Cultural brokering is usually defined as the act of mediating different social groups to improve psychosocial adaptation, but it is also about community empowerment and advocacy. Fadi discussed key ethical issues in researching and working with refugee youth, which include navigating positionality, reflexivity, and anti-oppressive practices.

This session was recorded and can be watched here. 

This session took place March 23rd, 2022

This in-person workshop at 541 Selkirk Ave (Merchants Corner) took place with Claire Thérèse and Ali Robson. They discussed their art-based research process that took place at West Central Women’s Research in the fall of 2021. They shared their approach, methodologies, findings and experiences from their perspective as students, artists, and researchers. The workshop was participatory in nature and involved hands on art making.

This session took place March 2nd, 2022

This discussion with Dr. Shauna MacKinnon asked what does Community-based research (CBR), which is an approach to research that aims for collaboration between university scholars and communities, look like in practice?

It focused on how the level of engagement in CBR will depend on the principles guiding the research. Those who subscribe to a participatory community-led approach guided by social justice principles take seriously the importance of process. This means that engagement begins with identifying what research needs doing and it most certainly means careful attention to research design, implementation, ownership, and mobilization. Participants discussed and learned about some basic principles when working with communities to design and implement research that is meaningful. As well as some of the more complex challenges that can emerge in the work.

This session took place February 2nd, 2022

This session presented by Dr. Jerry Buckland focused on providing insight into how to conduct action-oriented research (ARM) and surveys. It looked at how ARM is an approach to research that seeks to inform effective action. This approach then aligns well with the needs of organizations seeking to better understand 1) the needs and assets of their client communities, and 2) the impact of their programs on these communities. The session looked at how ARM is pragmatic, relies on mixed methods, offers important benefits, but has limitations.

You can watch the edited recording here on YouTube.

This session took place November 8th, 2021

This session was led by Jeannie Kerr and Ray Silvius. It outlined the various ethical considerations required by formal institutions. It then took an in-depth look at what this means in practice and some of the additional ethical concerns and dilemmas that may arise when interviewing and working closely with individuals and communities.

This session took place October 20th, 2021

This session presented by Brianne Selman explains some of the context around why research is often found behind paywalls. The session then focuses on the various approaches you can take as a researcher to find open-access scholarly research.

You can watch the edited recording here on YouTube.

This session took place October 6th, 2021

This session was facilitated by Jennifer Dengate, Director of the Centre for Social Science Research and Policy at the University of Manitoba. It provided a brief introduction to focus groups, including their advantages, when to use them, and why. It then spotlit virtual focus groups; examining the practicalities of planning real-time (synchronous) virtual focus groups and discussing the pros and cons of asynchronous activities that can be done at participants’ convenience.

This session took place September 29th, 2021

This session presented by Dagen Perrott covered some of the foundational concepts and principles that inform community-based research. It was directed towards those new and unfamiliar with community-based research and held room for discussion on the opportunities and limitations of this approach. 

While the session was not recorded, the CBRTC does offer a condensed outreach version of this session. To learn more or schedule a presentation, please contact Dagen, the CBRTC program assistant at Dagenperrott@uwinnipeg.ca. 

This session took place February 16th, 2021

This panel discussion with Kathy Mallett, Kirsten Bernas, Lorie English, Michael Barkman, and Shauna MacKinnon covered each of their histories with community-based research, the lessons they learned along the way, and their advice for folks beginning their journey. It was moderated by Dagen Perrott with an introduction by Jeannie Kerr.

You can watch the recording here on YouTube.

This session took place March 3rd, 2021

This session led by Michael Dudley, the Community Outreach Librarian at the University of Winnipeg Library, covered the resources and data sets available to community-based researchers.

This session took place March 31st, 2021

This session with Jeannie Kerr provided a broad overview of what is required for ethics approval in Canada. It also covered some key considerations around the responsibilities and rights of those engaged in research.

You can watch the edited recording here on YouTube.

This session took place April 23rd, 2021

This workshop with Sarah Cooper and Jennifer Dengate covered the foundational pieces of interviewing. It also included reflections and tips on how to prepare for interviews and how to transcribe and analyze interviews.

You can watch the edited recording here on YouTube.