The role and influence of key informants in community-engaged research: A critical perspective

Abstract

With the national emphasis on engaged and action research approaches to enhance research with communities and improve research translation, conventional social science and health researchers will benefit from greater knowledge and skills in line with the underlying principles of collaboration and participation. One prominent competency is to ensure that researcher and community interests and priorities coalesce and shape all stages of the research and dissemination process. This article includes our reflection on the unique role and purpose of key informants in community-engaged research. Taking a critical social science perspective, we consider the value and challenges involved in selecting and relying on key informants to represent the community and its perspectives. Because key informants inhabit social and professional roles in communities, they are often sought by researchers to provide knowledge and information related to health promotion and education within a community. However, their identification and selection – and their perspectives about what is important and would work best for a community – must be carefully considered. We conclude this article with several recommendations for enhancing community engagement in translational research.