Scaling up community-based research: A case study

Abstract

Community-based research generally focuses on achieving benefits for both communities and researchers on a local, place-based scale. This case study profiles the six-year evolution of a community-based social enterprise sector survey across Canada. What started as a class project, and then a one-time study of two provinces, grew, over time, to become a pan-Canadian social enterprise sector survey. The evolution of the survey was led by social enterprise intermediary organizations within provinces who recognized the potential value of the initial survey in their own context. This case study demonstrates that with time and commitment, the core values of community-based research can be successfully scaled-up.