Design and implementation of the 6-C model of community engagement

The term "community engaged research" (CER) has become popularized to describe attempts to promote community involvement in all phases of the research process. The aim of CER is that the people most directly impacted by the research topic become active participants in the research process. Historically, the term CER referred to scientific researchers and community members who work together to develop community academic partnerships (CAPs), improve research, and create better outcomes in communities, CER is most often conducted in the context of health issues, but need not be limited to that field. There are various forms of community engagement; many of them have demonstrated the potential to contribute to fostering health equity in a community. As more individuals and groups are invited to participate in CAPs and have their voices heard, the members embrace bi-directional communication and trust and share power. At the righthand side of the scale is community-based participatory research (CBPR), a more egalitarian form of CER, characterized by strong collaboration across the research spectrum. Although CBPR has become the most frequently cited example of CER, it can be difficult to build and sustain. Time commitments can be off-putting, both for researchers and community members. Research projects may be difficult to maintain without a steady stream of external funding. More recently, political factors may contribute to an erosion of trust in the CAP. There is an acknowledgment of multiple points of community engagement and the potential for important health contributions with these various forms of CER.