From evidence-based practice making to practice-based evidence making: creating communities of (research) and...

Models of research translation frequently emphasize independent roles for research producers and intended users. This article describes a novel approach for enhancing exchange between researchers and practitioners. The framework is based on Wenger's notion of Communities of Practice (CoP) where knowledge is regarded as a social enterprise at the center of member interactions. Research-based practices and policies emerge when research producers and users mutually engage one another about specific health promotion problems through negotiation and by creating and sharing technical standards and other resources. CoPs are more than loose networks or task-oriented teams. They aim to create both social and intellectual capital through mutual negotiation, reciprocity, trust, and cohesion. A Consortium of Quitline Operators across North America and a Canadian project to enhance research capacity for tobacco control research serve as examples of how the model has been successfully operationalized.