Knowledge Democracy / Participatory Research

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Welcome to the Knowledge Democracy / Participatory Research Community. This community serves as a comprehensive repository of resources on participatory approaches, community-based research, and collaborative inquiry methods. Our mission is to foster knowledge sharing and support initiatives that empower communities to contribute to research, ensuring their voices shape the knowledge that impacts their lives.

Explore a wealth of materials, including case studies, policy papers, training guides, and research publications that highlight the practice and principles of participatory research worldwide.

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 69
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    From margins to center? The development and purpose of participatory research
    (The American Sociologist, 1992) Hall, Budd L
    This article documents the development of the libratory stream of participa-tory research as experienced through the activities and connections of one of the key figures in the early development and dissemination of these ideas. It traces the developments in Tanzania in the early 1970s, through the establish-ment of the original Participatory Research Network to the elaboration of theoretical and political debates. It highlights the formulation and elaboration of participatory research as a contribution to social change in a variety of settings. It includes discussions of the feminist advance, the question of voice and the relationship of power to knowledge in transformative practice. It contains an extensive and historically valuable bibliography.
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    Research, commitment and action: The role of participatory research
    (International Review of Education, 1981) Hall, Budd L
    The author discusses the development and practice of participatory research as both a method and strategy of social investigation and social action within an adult education framework. Participatory research is compared with traditional research strategies, and its defining principles are outlined, together with specific examples of its application and practical issues both today and in the future.
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    Participatory training for promotion of social development
    (1996) Acharya, Binoy; Verma, Shalini
    How can participatory training and learning be undertaken with disadvantaged groups? In this article, Binoy Acharya and Shalini Verma discuss approaches to training that move beyond the mere transfer of information and place people’s confidence, experience, and critical awareness at the center. They argue that many marginalised communities have long experienced the devaluation of their own knowledge and capacities, which weakens participation and self belief. Therefore, participatory training must begin by helping people analyse their own realities, articulate their experiences, and recognise what they need to learn further. The article highlights the important role of grassroots trainers in understanding why people do not participate- including fear, exclusion, low confidence, and past experiences of being ignored. Training is therefore presented as a process of creating safe spaces for dialogue, reflection, and collective learning. Drawing from training designs adopted by Gujarat based NGOs, the authors show how structured modules on facilitation, group dynamics, self development, and training methods can build local leadership. Participatory training is thus presented as a means of fostering critical thinking, restoring confidence, and strengthening people’s capacities for social change.
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    Notes on monitoring-fifth training workshop on participatory development. September 15-19, 1997
    (Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), 1997-09-19) Satyamurti, V.
    Monitoring is essential to any planning activity, as it provides a systematic and continuous assessment of the progress of work over time. In these writings, compiled by V. Satyamurthi, monitoring is presented not merely as a technical exercise but as a practical tool for accountability, learning, and improved programme management. These writings explain in detail what should be reviewed during monitoring, what information is useful, and how aims and indicators may be defined clearly. Particular attention is given to process monitoring, including the use of resources, progress of activities, and the manner in which work is carried out. The notes further discuss methods of data collection and analysis, including surveys, case studies, regular records, and participatory approaches that involve communities directly. Equal emphasis is placed on interpreting findings, sharing feedback, and using results to improve planning procedures and institutional learning. Satyamurthi also underlines the importance of making monitoring participatory so that people affected by programmes can have a say in the process. These notes provide a grounded and practical guide to participatory monitoring processes.
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    Monitoring and evaluation
    (Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA), 1997) Satyamurthi, V.
    These writings on Monitoring and Evaluation, compiled by V. Satyamurthi, provide a succinct and practical introduction to key tools of project planning and management. They clearly explain Logical Framework Analysis, including its meaning, strengths, and limitations, while showing its relevance for objective oriented and participatory planning. The notes further discuss important concepts such as early start, early finish, late start, late finish, total slack, critical path, and critical jobs, along with how these may be calculated to improve project efficiency. Comparisons between Program Evaluation and Review Technique and Critical Path Method help clarify their use in different contexts. The notes also explain outputs and checklists and their role in implementation and review. Overall, this document brings together essential monitoring and evaluation concepts in an accessible format.
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    Society for participatory research in Asia
    (1986) Tandon, Rajesh
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    Participatory research in occupational health
    (1998) Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)
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    Participatory research in Asia
    (1980) Tandon, Rajesh
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    Research for the people-Research by the people
    (1980) Erasmie, Thord; de Vries, J; Dubell, F
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    Second national inter professional dialogue on participaroty development and participatory research, April 18-24, 1997
    (Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) and Association of Schools of Social Work in India (ASSWI), 1997-04) Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA)
    This report documents the Second National Inter Professional Dialogue on Participatory Development and Participatory Research, organised by PRIA and the Association of Schools of Social Work in India in 1997. Its central purpose was to deepen conceptual understanding of participatory research and participatory development, while examining their relevance for social work education and practice. Participatory research is presented not merely as a method of inquiry, but as a process through which ordinary people generate knowledge, analyse their realities, and shape their own development. Participatory development is similarly located within wider shifts from welfare oriented and top down models toward empowerment, decentralisation, and democratic engagement. Across chapters on governance, rural and urban development, people’s movements, training, and field practice, the report reflects on how participation can be institutionalised in meaningful ways. It also raises critical questions of power, professionalism, curriculum reform, and the relationship between theory and practice. A major contribution of the dialogue is its insistence that social work education must move beyond service delivery alone toward approaches that strengthen agency, collective action, and social transformation.

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