Unlocking Voices: Research with Historically Marginalized Communities

Section outline

• Course Overview

  Course Overview

  This course equips participants with the skills to conduct ethical and inclusive research with historically marginalized communities. It covers understanding marginalized populations, designing culturally sensitive studies, reflecting on researcher biases, applying ethical principles, and using research for advocacy and social change. Participants will learn practical strategies to foster trust and empower communities through responsible research practices.

  Learning Outcomes

  This course will help you to:

  1. Recognize some of the barriers to participation in research for historically marginalized communities 
  2. Design research initiatives that not only collect data but also serve to uplift and empower marginalized communities, ensuring their voices are included in the conversation 
  3. Set and respect clear boundaries to avoid overstepping and ensure ethical engagement  
  4. Discuss how ethical principles contribute to building rapport and trust with participants, particularly in historically marginalized communities  
  5. Develop strategies for using research findings to support and empower marginalized communities  
• Course Instructors

  Course Instructors

  • Dr. Shatonda S. Jones

    Dr. Shatonda S. Jones is an Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology Program at St. Bonaventure University. Dr. Jones has 20 years of experience as a Speech Language Pathologist and over 15 years of teaching experience in higher education at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels.  Dr. Jones specializes in adult and geriatric communication and swallowing disorders with a particular interest in motor speech disorders. Her research focuses on health capacity building in socially marginalized communities, diffusion of health information, cultural and linguistic diversity, and innovative educational methods. She is a Certified Brain Injury Specialist Trainer (CBIST). She holds a PhD in Therapeutic Science from the University of Kansas, a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Iowa, and a Bachelor’s from the University of Tulsa. Dr. Jones is dedicated to integrating clinical practice, scholarship, and advocacy in her work. 

    View Bio for Dr. Shatonda S. Jones
  • Dr. Shantoyia (Toy) Jones

    Dr. Toy Jones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology and the Director of a Women’s Studies Program at Xavier University of Louisiana. Before her role at Xavier, she worked clinically in university counseling centers, hospitals, community agencies, and sexual assault response centers with survivors of sex trafficking, survivors of political torture seeking asylum, and directly with community stakeholders mobilizing grassroots efforts for justice and equity.  As a counseling psychologist, her research focuses on the discovery of new phenomena and developing interventions that will best serve the needs of Black women and girls and the larger BIPOC community. As a qualitative and mixed methods researcher, she explores the interrelatedness and intersection of the following variables:  sexual violence, trauma, IPV/DV, exploitation, identity development, sexual health decision-making, joy, pleasure, and sisterhood. Central to her work as an activist-scholar is affirming Black women and girls’ lived experiences as sources of knowledge and developing community interventions that promote the emotional, psychological, and behavioral health of all BIPOC people. 

    View Bio for Dr. Shantoyia (Toy) Jones
• Pre-Course Self Assessment

  Pre-Course Self Assessment

  Before you dive into this course, spend a few moments reflecting on your familiarity with the topic and your current level of skills confidence. 

  You will then re-visit the same questions in our Post-Course Self Assessment and reflect on how the course has helped you develop in confidence and grow your skills. 
• Module One: Who Are Historically Marginalized Populations: A Guide to Understanding

  Module One: Who Are Historically Marginalized Populations: A Guide to Understanding

  

  This module will help you to:

  1. Define historically, socially marginalized communities  
  2. Discuss special considerations when working with and among historically marginalized communities 
  3. Evaluate how intersectionality affects historically marginalized communities  
  4. Recognize some of the barriers to participation in research for historically marginalized communities 
• Module Two: Designing Culturally Inclusive Studies with Historically Marginalized Communities

  Module Two: Designing Culturally Inclusive Studies with Historically Marginalized Communities

  

  This module will help you to:

  1. Apply inclusive design principles to ensure research reflects community perspectives  
  2. Use practical strategies to recruit diverse participants and build trust  
  3. Develop accessible research materials and processes  
  4. Design research that empowers and uplifts marginalized communities and includes their voices  
• Module Three: Outsider Inside: Researching With and Within Historically Marginalized Communities

  Module Three: Outsider Inside: Researching With and Within Historically Marginalized Communities

  

  This module will help you to:

  1. Recognize and reflect on personal roles and biases in the context of conducting research  
  2. Develop strategies to foster trust and collaboration within these communities  
  3. Apply practical tips for working effectively and ethically within the community  
  4. Set and respect clear boundaries to avoid overstepping and ensure ethical engagement  
  5. Utilize essential tools to engage with historically marginalized communities in a respectful and effective manner 
• Module Four: Researcher as Partner: The Role of Ethics

  Module Four: Researcher as Partner: The Role of Ethics

  

  This module will help you to:

  1. Propose solutions that prioritize participant welfare and community integrity using ethical principles  
  2. Discuss how ethical principles build rapport and trust with participants, especially in marginalized communities  
  3. Assess research designs and protocols for ethical standards adherence  
  4. Ensure participant rights and safety are upheld  
  5. Develop strategies for implementing ethical practices that promote respect and fairness for all participants  
• Module Five: Sharing Findings and Advocating for Change

  Module Five: Sharing Findings and Advocating for Change

  

  This module will help you to:

  1. Recognize research's power to influence social change and advocacy    
  2. Implement ethical and effective dissemination practices  
  3. Collaborate with community members and stakeholders in advocacy efforts   
  4. Use research for advocacy to impact marginalized communities  
  5. Develop strategies to support and empower marginalized communities with research findings  
• References and Glossary of Key Terms

  References and Glossary of Key Terms

  In addition to the glossary you’ll find woven throughout the course, you can find the full glossary collated in one place here.
• Post-Course Self Assessment

  Post-Course Self Assessment

  Now you’ve completed the course, spend a few moments reflecting on where your familiarity with the topics and your confidence skills levels are at now. 

  Has the course helped you develop new skills and grow your confidence?

  You'll need to complete the Post-Course Self Assessment in order to download your certificate. If you didn't do the Pre-Course Self Assessment before starting the course, please go to the top of the page and reflect on your familiarity with the topic and your level of skills confidence before you started the course.
• Completion: Certificate

  Completion: Certificate

  Completing all modules (plus the pre and post-course assessments) will unlock the course certificate, which you can then download here. Your course certificate will only be made available once you have completed all these sections.

  If you have difficulty accessing your certificate, please contact the Sage support team at: onlinesupport@sagepub.co.uk. You can also check out this FAQ page which may be helpful.
• Give Feedback About This Course

  Give Feedback About This Course

  Did you enjoy the course? Please take two minutes to share your feedback. We use learner feedback in future course updates and developments to provide an excellent learning experience.
• Accessibility

  Accessibility

  We have high standards of accessibility on Sage Campus and as of May/June 2024 all activities within this course are keyboard and screen reader compatible. For more details on accessibility standards, please see the Sage Campus Accessibility Guide.

  For those using assistive technology, please note that within this course:

  • Tab components: JAWS and NVDA behave slightly differently. For NVDA to keep reading, it is best to exit focus mode and go back to browse mode. 
  • Matching: JAWS does not read out question label on dropdown focus.