New Toolkit for Peer Research and Community Engagement

Professional researchers and NGO staff now have access to a new toolkit designed to support peer research in collaboration with marginalised communities. The resource offers practical pathways to strengthen community engagement and amplify the voices of disadvantaged groups who often find it difficult to be heard.

The toolkit focuses on building a joint understanding between academia, NGOs, and local communities to collaboratively address issues challenging residents' well-being. The methodology is grounded in the authors' extensive experience with transport and mobilities research among disadvantaged populations in Africa and the UK. Notably, this includes their VREF-funded research projects within the Walking as a Mode of Transport program, which utilized peer research methods to investigate the walking experiences of young men in low-income neighbourhoods. While rooted in these mobility studies, the framework can easily be adapted to other thematic areas.

This resource was prepared by Gina Porter, Sam Clark, Bradley Rink, Bulelani Maskiti, and Georgia Ryan, drawing on insights from numerous peer researchers and collaborators over the last two decades.