Preparation Exploration Negotiation Implementation
Researcher: Research is about creating knowledge. Also, I don't want to say this out loud, but research should show my peers and donors how smart and unique I am, and so my findings should be dramatic!
Practitioner: Research is for building the evidence base for programming and needs to be applied. Also, I might not want to say this out loud, but research should show the donor how important and successful the programming is. Just make sure the conclusions make the organization look good.
Convergence: Choose more applied researchers when deciding on research partners. Have clear research questions before the research project begins and before choosing research partners. Discuss ahead of time how potential negative findings will be handled as part of the partnering process. We both see donors as demanding.
Questions Researchers Can Ask:
How do you plan to use this research? How does it complement or supplement programmatic (M&E) data collection?
How can we learn from potential negative findings from the research?
What is your experience with academic researchers?
Questions Practitioners Can Ask:
What is the challenge or gap the research will address?
What are the research questions?
What is your experience with applied research?
Questions Both Can Ask:
How can the expectations between us regarding research and its outcomes be aligned?
What is the purpose of this partnership?