Participatory Action Research in Times of Coronavirus Disease 2019: Adapting Approaches with Refugee-Led...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a greater health impact on ethnoracial minorities, including migrants. Migrants in marginalized communities are harder to reach for health information sharing. Meanwhile, the pandemic has impacted in-person, community-based research. Such research is important during a pandemic, warranting the adaptation of engagement methods.

This study analyzes methodological processes for adapting community-based research to a virtual environment due to COVID-19 restrictions. Our participatory action research, with refugee-and immigrant-run community-based organizations (RI-CBOs) in a U.S. midwestern metropolitan area, sought to understand organizational activities, including COVID-19 responses, and foster organizational capacity building.

Partnered with one RI-CBO, we co-developed three methods. Netnography facilitated nonparticipant observation of the RI-CBO's online meetings to inform the community about the pandemic. Online surveys were designed to document the RI-CBO's activities while serving as a foundation to develop a sustainable record-keeping system. Remote interviews sought to contextualize the data.

The methodological transition to an online environment prioritized interaction, focusing on user friendliness and efficiency. Community partners intensively engaged in the adaptation process. Netnography captured how the RI-CBO used multimedia to connect community members with COVID-19 information and resources. Surveys and interviews provided data about organizational activities as the pandemic spread and community needs increased.

Adapting to online modalities drew on four priorities: ease of access, time sensitivity, capacity building, and co-production of data. Methodological insights may be applicable to participatory action research with RI-CBOs and other CBOs in the face of challenges similar to those prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic.