Exercise 6
Grounding Your Communication
Research doesn’t happen in isolation. Communities are often deeply interested in research findings — especially when those findings connect to their health, identities, or lived experiences.
📖 Step 1: Read
Read one or two (light) readings
💬 Step 2: Discuss
Apply discussion questions to a real or hypothetical research project
✍️ Step 3: Reflect
Use a worksheet to reflect on how this exercise applies to your work, and note key takeaways
Step 1.
Read
📖 Read as a group.
Note: web versions include links to additional content.
Readings
Read the following readings as a group. You might take turns reading aloud or spend a few minutes reading quietly.
“The Importance of Context in Biorepository Research“
How to reduce the possibility of harm in repository-enabled research by building context into each step
This reading was featured in a previous exercise. If you’ve read it before, we recommend skimming it to refresh your memory.
“Worksheet: Writing a Positionality Statement for Big Data Research“
Reflecting on the perspective you bring to your repository-enabled research
Step 2.
Discuss
💬 Discuss a real or imaginary project
Discussion Prompts
Use the prompts below to guide your group’s conversation.
You can focus on a real research project or make one up for this exercise.
Identifying Communities
- What community(ies) outside of academia might be especially interested in your research findings? Why would they be interested?
(Example: If you are studying cancer incidence, people with cancer predisposition genes may be particularly interested.)
Access and Relationships
- What access do you currently have to this community(ies)? Consider the following examples. Are there any examples you can think of that are NOT on this list?
- I am a member of this community
- Someone on my research team is a member
- Someone in my institution (e.g., an ethics board member, an advisor) is a member
- Community engagement is part of my research plan (e.g., a community advisory board, a community survey)
- I have consulted with this community in past projects
- I have access to a community advisory board who I have engaged
- I have access to a community advisory board who I have NOT yet engaged
- I do not have time to engage this community
- I do not have other resources to engage this community (e.g., no community advisory board, no fellow researchers)
- The community is very diffuse and would be hard to consult
- I don’t think community engagement is relevant to my research question
Contextualizing Findings
- How will you integrate and communicate your findings while acknowledging the existing realities of the communities included in your work?
For example, a study may highlight the importance of avoiding ultraprocessed foods, but a community may lack access to fresh food; researchers can include statements that highlight these realities to help guide policy makers and future researchers.
Think about:
- Social context — How do your findings connect to social factors such as income, education, housing, or discrimination?
- Environmental context — Are there environmental factors (like pollution, climate, or geography) that matter for interpreting your results?
- Accessibility — How can you explain your findings so they’re understandable not just to other scientists, but also to communities, policymakers, or the public?
- Avoiding misinterpretation — What risks could come up if your findings are presented without this context (e.g., reinforcing stereotypes, overlooking systemic issues)?
Writing a Positionality Statement
- Reflect on your own relationship to your research. How do aspects of your identity (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, disability status, socioeconomic status, religion, nationality) impact your relationship to this work?
Write a short positionality statement — a reflection that explains how your perspective as a researcher is shaped by who you are. Use “Guide: Writing a Positionality Statement for Biorepository Research” for guidance.
This is for your own reflection, though some journals or funders may ask for one.
Further Reading (Optional)
If you’d like to explore further, here are some external resources.
These are also included in the reading for this exercise.
- How to Write a ‘Positionality Statement’ (and Why Positioning Identity Matters in Decolonising Research and Knowledge Production)
- Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner’s guide
- Positionality practices and dimensions of impact on equity research: A collaborative inquiry and call to the community
- Disclosure without Engagement: An Empirical Review of Positionality Statements at FAccT
Step 3.
Reflect
✍️ Document your takeaways
Note on versions:
Reflection Worksheets
Take a few minutes to reflect on this exercise using the worksheet below. Choose the version that best matches your role — or share one worksheet as a group. Jot down any insights, questions, or takeaways.
Researchers:
Ethics Committees:
Data Access Committees:
Next Steps
You’ve completed this exercise. Great work! 🎉