title: Strategic approach to building research capacity in inter-professional education and collaboration.
abstract: The purpose of this paper is to describe the process used to initiate research capacity building in a community of practice (CoP) focused on the research and evaluation of inter-professional education and collaboration. This CoP, composed of members from across Canada, is a committee of the Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (CIHC), a national collaborative that aims to advance inter-professional education and collaboration in healthcare. The committee mapped recommendations that emerged from a number of CIHC reports onto a research capacity building framework. The expertise of the diverse members in conjunction with this unique mapping process allowed the committee to identify its long-term research and evaluation objectives and strategies. This resulted in the formation of three working groups, each tasked with activities that contribute to the committee's overall goal of building research capacity in inter-professional education and collaboration. A framework provides a structured approach to identifying research and evaluation priorities and objectives. Furthermore, the process of applying the framework engages the committee members in determining the course of action. The process can be easily transferred to other areas in need of research capacity building.
authors.affiliation: Health Systems and Workforce Research Unit, Alberta Health Services, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lait
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macdonald
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wener
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Law
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: McCarthy
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000193:education / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002170:Canada; D057191:Capacity Building / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003142:Communication; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D004501:Education, Medical / Q000458:organization & administration; D006285:Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration; D007400:Interprofessional Relations