Project GRIP

An Illustration of Participatory Action Research with Communities of People Who Own and Use Firearms

Bibliographic Data

ID13675319
AuthorsPhillip N Smith (0000-0002-9364-3907, University of South Alabama, corresponding author), Christopher E Cordell, Christopher Cordell (Community Research Partner, Mobile, AL, USA), L Taylor Stevens (0000-0002-4543-2558, Vanderbilt University), Katie West (University of South Alabama), Savannah Morgan (University of South Alabama), Savannah T Morgan (University of South Alabama), Jordan Vallas (Community Research Partner, Mobile, AL, USA), Krista R Mehari (0000-0002-7448-9393, Vanderbilt University)
Year2024
Volume128
Issue1
Pages211-239
Publication date2024-04-17
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenuePsychological Reports (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0033-2941 • E-ISSN: 1558-691X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/00332941241246467
PMID38629414
OpenAlexW4394873094
LanguageEN
Citations received2
References cited33

Firearm-related injury and mortality prevention strategies are often incompatible with and potentially ineffective for the very populations at risk. Such incompatibility is reflective of a cultural disconnect between investigators and prevention specialists and those who own and use firearms. The current paper describes Project GRIP, a research study that was guided by the principles of Participatory Action Research (PAR). We present the project as a case-example and demonstration of how PAR principles can inform an approach to partner with firearm owners in injury prevention research. Though PAR is a general approach and not a set of techniques, we describe the strategies we used in the hopes that they may be useful for investigators using PAR with firearm owners. We discuss the project and our approach across different stages of the process, including entering into PAR with firearm owners, building partnerships, developing a shared vision, mutual understanding, and co-learning, building and maintaining positive relationships, and executing the project tasks. The PAR approach and the intentional emphasis on partnership is, in our opinion, vital to ensuring that the perspectives of firearm owners are incorporated into the research literature so that more ecologically valid and potentially effective injury and mortality prevention strategies can be developed and disseminated

Action (physics · Business · Citizen journalism · General partnership · Medical education · Medical emergency · Participatory action research · Poison control · Political science · Process (computing · Public relations · Set (abstract data type · Sociology · Suicide prevention · Applied Psychology · Community Health and Development · Computer Science · Health Policy Implementation Science · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Public Health Policies and Education