Integrating Methods Training and Community-based Participatory Research: The NSF-Supported Ethnographic Field School in Tallahassee, Florida

Abstract

The Health Equity Alliance of Tallahassee (HEAT) Ethnographic Field School (EFS) uses a community-based participatory research (CBPR) framework to provide intensive, hands-on training in methods of collecting and analyzing qualitative and quantitative ethnographic data. In this article, we describe (1) how the field school addresses a disciplinary need for more rigorous training in research methods, (2) the value of grounding field training in a participatory framework, and (3) the structure and aims of the field school training program. Our efforts promote mutual learning in a collaborative environment and the integration of teaching, research, and action.