Ideas for Scientific Community Research
Scientific researches are commonly believed to be academic formal writing, reserved for those who have the technical background to conduct such studies.
In the case of community-based research, it can simply follow basic scientific methods, commonly taught in high school lessons. What community residents may lack in formal research background can be compensated by the fact that they are the ones who are most familiar with the problem (as they have to live with it) and who have immediate access to needed data (as data will be gathered from their homes or immediate surroundings).
Below are some ideas for research which you and your students may spearhead in your local community:
Topics
Problems related to health are good to research on because of the wide scope of its results’ significance.
Environment-related issues are also important subjects among researchers, as most public policies need hard data and statistics to back up changes or amendments or implementations. An example would be So Much Pollution; Where Do We Breathe In?, an air pollution study in California, or Can You Sí What I Sí?, also an air pollution study in Mexico and its impact on residents’ health.
Another alternative would be like Leveling the Playing Field, which combines both health and environment issues in a study on how parks and green space lessens the health disparity between the rich and the poor.
There are also intervention researches, like those about drug users and risk reduction policies, or testing a social development curriculum.
Participation action researches, on the other hand, are more common in community-wide researches because it engages the public in open discussions about issues affecting them. Ideas for a participation action research include the smoking industry, health care in a particular area, or wildlife trade.
Whatever research topic you and your students decide to embark on, always remember that what is most important is that the results of your study can bring about positive change or impact to the whole community.
Sources:
“Publishing research in a scientific journal.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from
http://www.furryelephant.com/content/radioactivity/how-science-works/
“Research/methods.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from
http://www.incommunityresearch.org/research/research.htm
“Scientific research.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from
http://www.grist.org/topic/scientific_research
“Steps of the Scientific Method.” Retrieved November 16, 2008 from
http://www.sciencebuddies.org/science-fair-projects/project_scientific_method.shtml
(Published 2 December 2008, Smart Communications, Inc.)
