Our Process

Redefining Research

 

The Equity in Action model

 

From government policies to nonprofit programs, research is used to shape our daily lives in countless ways. But, for generations, researchers have entered communities with their own agendas, extracted data from those most harmed by injustice, and released findings that are utterly removed from the people most impacted. 

Research in Action (RIA) was created to reclaim the power of research by putting community expertise first at every step — from naming the problem to identifying solutions. 

Using our unique and proven Equity in Action model, we co-create processes that recognize and increase the inherent leadership of impacted communities and drive actionable and timely solutions that advance racial justice in ways we can see and feel in our everyday lives. 

Our Values

  • Actionable Research

    We reject the idea that knowledge creation is for the privileged few and uplift how community members are creating knowledge in their everyday lives. We are committed to actionable research that recognizes that community expertise reveals what the problem is and how to solve it, and leads directly to specific, real world changes that community members can see and feel in their everyday lives.

  • Community-led Processes

    We do not simply seek feedback from community members on a question or idea created without them, but redistribute power to the people most impacted to direct that process from start to finish. We elevate community members as project leaders and support them in using their expertise to describe the problem, design and use tools to gather information, and gain the insight they need to solve specific problems.

  • Racial Justice

    We proactively and authentically partner with Black, brown and Indigenous people to acknowledge and eliminate white supremacy, the systematic impact of racism, the harms of anti-Blackness, and the oppressive policies and practices upheld by institutions that prevent marginalized people from exercising their full humanity. We take strategic and purposeful action to create material change in people’s lives, and heal the trauma of generations of exploitation and intentional harm.

  • Iteration

    Unraveling complex problems is iterative, not fixed or linear. Creating change requires constant shifts to not simply receive input but act on that input to consistently redirect power to impacted community members. We reject urgency because we expect adjustments and embrace unknowns to prioritize equitable and lasting outcomes over arbitrary timelines.

  • Accountability

    Accountability is an ongoing practice as we collectively process institutional harms, uncover contentious histories, and grapple with challenging questions. We are committed to naming and mitigating the harms of white supremacy culture, holding space for generative conflict management and bridging all collaborators to external resources when significant harm has occurred.

  • Shared Meaning Making

    We create space for all collaborators to develop shared meaning of key language to describe the context and define the problem together. Next, we ensure all collaborators recognize the specific goals of the project and the gaps it seeks to fill. We regularly revisit our shared values and reassess our collective knowledge based on what we’re learning to ensure our process results in concrete policies and practices most needed by impacted communities.

Steps in our Equity in Action Model

  • We investigate with partners and community members the history and context that has led to the proposed project, honestly identifying institutional harms, pain points, and impacted partnerships. We define shared values, as well as stakeholder goals and interests.

  • We create a community action council made up of individuals who are personally impacted by a specific issue. Because they understand the issue better than anyone else, we elevate community members as project leaders in accurately identifying and solving the problems they experience.

  • We support community members to use their expertise to describe the problem, design the process to understand it and develop tools to gather information.

  • We train action council members in data collection to work with the research team to connect with community members through a shared purpose to solve a common problem.

  • We make data understandable and clear so community members who haven’t been part of the action council can make sense of what it means, identify where we have misunderstood or made mistakes, and surface multiple solutions.

  • Based on the data and community input, we identify policies, practices and systems changes that will lead to concrete improvements in community members’ lives — and shift relationships and power dynamics between the institutional partner and impacted community beyond the project.