Towards Community-Based Participatory Statistics Research Using Secondary Data

The increasing availability of secondary data creates new opportunities for applied statisticians, but it can lead to distance between statisticians and the communities impacted by the results of their analysis. This distance can decrease the effectiveness of research based on secondary datasets and indicate potential ethical concerns. To respond to this concern, we discuss how principles of Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) can be adapted to the setting of conducting quantitative research with secondary data. To provide actionable guidance for researchers entering this field, we examine three key areas of existing work in detail: foundational literature on CBPR, quantitative research conducted within community contexts, and scholarship on statistics community service learning courses. We also emphasize synergies between CBPR and secondary data analysis that are present throughout the research process. We discuss specific examples of partnerships between statisticians and community groups and/or members in secondary data analysis to illustrate how statisticians can successfully carry out these collaborations.