Dr Bobby Macaulay, the Coordinator of the Community Landownership Academic Network (CLAN), is conducting a research project that will be the first step of designing a new approach to research which seeks to directly benefit communities. Following increasing reports of communities being frustrated with the way that research was being conducted, leading to little benefit and often taking up significant time, there was a recognition that a new approach was needed.

This survey is intended for representatives of community organisations that own land or other assets, whether based in urban or rural environments. The survey focuses on your organisation’s experience of taking part in research and your opinions on how it can be improved, but you do not need to have previously engaged in research in order to contribute to the study. Research activity can include being interviewed, surveyed, taking part in focus groups or otherwise contributing to ‘data’ which was gathered by a researcher.