Key informants and community members in community-based participatory research: One is not like the other

June 25, 2015

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In a CBPR project, overdependence on a key informants’ perspectives misrepresents the perspective of community members themselves. This paper compares the perspectives of key informants and community members on health related issues to better understand how CBPR can accurately identify health priorities of a community. Findings of the comparison are presented, as well as recommendations for researchers on how to work effectively with both key informants and community members.

McKenna, S.A., Iwasaki, P.G., Stewart, T., & Main, D.S. (2011). Key informants and community members in community-based participatory research: One is not like the other. Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action, 5(4), 361-362. Full Text.