The Centre for Community-Based Research (CCBR) collaborated with Dr. Hema Ganapathy-Coleman to design and deliver a series of three interactive online training workshops for six to seven Research Assistants (RAs) involved in Dr. Ganapathy-Coleman’s research project. CCBR led the development and facilitation of these workshops to strengthen the RAs’ skills in community-based research methods focusing on in-depth interviewing and ethnographic observation, qualitative data analysis, and strategies for acting on findings and sharing knowledge with communities. 

The purpose of this workshop series was to provide comprehensive, hands-on training in qualitative research methods within a community-based research framework. The training focused on building capacity in in-depth interviewing and ethnographic observation, qualitative data analysis, and strategies for acting on findings and sharing knowledge with communities. Through interactive exercises and guided discussions, participants explored how interviewing and observation worked together to capture rich, contextualized data, learned to apply these methods ethically and effectively in diverse community settings, developed confidence in analyzing qualitative data, and practiced translating findings into actionable recommendations and knowledge-sharing strategies. By the end of the series, CCBR had equipped the RAs with a deeper understanding of interviewing and ethnographic observation methods, qualitative data analysis, and knowledge mobilization, preparing them to contribute to rigorous, culturally sensitive, and impactful community-engaged research.