The Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies toward Establishing a Community-Engaged Knowledge Hub: An Integrative Review

Jasleen Brar; Nashit Chowdhury; Mohammad M H Raihan; Ayisha Khalid; Mary Grantham O'Brien; Christine A Walsh; Tanvir C Turin

doi:10.3390/ijerph20021160

The Benefits, Challenges, and Strategies toward Establishing a Community-Engaged Knowledge Hub: An Integrative Review

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Jan 9;20(2):1160. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20021160.

Authors

Jasleen Brar^{1

2}, Nashit Chowdhury^{1

2

3}, Mohammad M H Raihan^{1

2

3}, Ayisha Khalid^{1

2}, Mary Grantham O'Brien^{2

4}, Christine A Walsh^{2

5}, Tanvir C Turin^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ Department of Family Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
² Newcomer Research Network, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
³ Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 4N1, Canada.
⁴ School of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures and Cultures, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
⁵ Faculty of Social Work, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.

Abstract

Current knowledge creation and mobilization efforts are concentrated in academic institutions. A community-engaged knowledge hub (CEKH) has the potential for transdisciplinary and cross-sectorial collaboration between knowledge producers, mobilizers, and users to develop more relevant and effective research practices as well as to increase community capacity in terms of knowledge production. Objective: To summarize existing original research articles on knowledge hubs or platforms and to identify the benefits, challenges, and ways to address challenges when developing a CEKH. Methods: This study followed a systematic integrative review design. Following a comprehensive search of academic and grey literature databases, we screened 9030 unique articles using predetermined inclusion criteria and identified 20 studies for the final synthesis. We employed thematic analysis to summarize the results. Results: The focus of the majority of these knowledge mobilization hubs was related to health and wellness. Knowledge hubs have a multitude of benefits for the key stakeholders including academics, communities, service providers, and policymakers, including improving dissemination processes, providing more effective community interventions, ensuring informed care, and creating policy assessment tools. Challenges in creating knowledge hubs are generally consistent for all stakeholders, rather than for individual stakeholders, and typically pertain to funding, resources, and conflicting perspectives. As such, strategies to address challenges are also emphasized and should be executed in unison. Conclusions: This study informs the development of a future CEKH through the identification of the benefits, challenges, and strategies to mitigate challenges when developing knowledge hubs. This study addresses a literature gap regarding the comparisons of knowledge hubs and stakeholder experiences.

Keywords: community engagement; community involvement; cross-sectorial partnership; hub; knowledge creation; knowledge mobilization; transdisciplinary collaboration.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Knowledge*
Policy*
Schools
Universities

Grants and funding

The program of research and knowledge mobilization received funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the University of Calgary.