Cross-cultural Considerations in the Conduct of Community-based Participatory Research

This article explores cross-cultural challenges that arise when university and community members collaborate in community-based participatory research. As part of a project for primary prevention of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, researchers trained community leaders to jointly develop a research question and conduct a pilot qualitative study in a Puerto Rican community in Massachusetts. Different priorities of the community and university members about HIV as a research topic underscored the need to continuously reflect on developing a research question in community-based participatory research. Recognizing the cultural assumptions of both university and community members is an important component of capacity building among collaborative research teams.