{"id":2031,"date":"2011-07-19T13:59:15","date_gmt":"2011-07-19T13:59:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/harward\/?page_id=2031"},"modified":"2026-08-31T16:09:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-31T20:09:09","slug":"community-based-research","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.bates.edu\/harward\/curricular\/community-based-research\/","title":{"rendered":"Community-Engaged Research"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Ariya Tayal ’26 discusses her research with The Drop-in Center in Auburn, ME on access and agency in reproductive health care among women experiencing homelessness, a thesis in Neuroscience. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Community-engaged research (also known as community-based research) is an important strand of academic civic engagement supported by the Harward Center. Students in diverse departments and programs undertake community-engaged research in courses and for their senior thesis or capstone project. Some departments offer research methods courses that focus specifically on collaborating with the community for research. Harward Center staff offer support for students performing community-engaged research through one-on-one consultations as well as the Community-Engaged Research (CER) Fellows Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMMUNITY-ENGAGED THESIS PROJECTS AND INDEPENDENT STUDIES
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Many opportunities for community engagement are available for students who are completing an honors thesis, thesis, or independent study. Community partners often approach us\u00a0with research questions that do not fit easily within the context of a twelve-week course. \u00a0The sustained attention and detailed analysis that an individual student can provide through a focused semester or year-long project can have a significant and long-lasting impact, and students also benefit significantly from these collaborations. An overwhelming majority of alumni who conducted their thesis research in the community later reported that this work influenced their career trajectory and deepened their commitment to civic engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The process for initiating a community-engaged research project can unfold in a number of ways. Sometimes a student might develop a thesis research question through prior work done with a community agency. In other cases, the student’s research might tie in with questions a faculty member is exploring in the community. If you are considering a community-engaged research project or studying a topic related to current issues within Lewiston-Auburn, we encourage you to contact Harward Center staff<\/a> and consider whether there are local organizations that could benefit from collaborating with you. We can also help you to determine whether you need Institutional Review Board (IRB) <\/a>approval for your chosen topic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Examples of recent Community-Engaged Thesis Projects:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n