Community-Based Research and Scholarship

Community-based research and scholarship invites and involves community partners in the research and scholarship process and can take many forms depending on discipline, mutually identified goals and more. Community-Engaged Learning can create opportunities for faculty to conduct scholarly research and evaluation. Faculty can also pursue collaborative research and grant writing opportunities with community partners. The Center for Civic Engagement can assist faculty in identifying potential community organizations that would be interested in serving as a partner for a research project. Below are several resources that can aid you in linking your community engagement work to opportunities for scholarship and publishing.

Community-based research resources

Community Engagement and Professional Evaluation

Community engagement can play a role in helping faculty fulfill research, teaching and scholarship duties. Many universities throughout the country are recognizing the importance of community engagement in the tenure and promotion process by suggesting ways to include this work in faculty portfolios. In 2021, 海角乱伦社区 updated its Provost level guidelines for promotion and tenure to include the recognition of community-engaged teaching and research. This, along with ongoing conversations with colleges and departments, is a promising step towards advancing 海角乱伦社区鈥檚 support for community-engaged teaching, learning and research. We encourage faculty to review the Provost level guidelines for promotion and tenure and to consult with your department or college leadership on how these guidelines are being applied or utilized within your discipline. 

Below are some resources to support faculty seeking to successfully integrate community engaged teaching, learning and research into the tenure and promotion process. 

  • to support faculty with community-engaged teaching and research from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium.

Community engagement journals

The list of journals below include those sponsored by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium and other journals shared by this organization as those which focus on community-engaged scholarship, outreach and service-learning. Some may not focus specifically on community engagement but do publish contributions to this literature.

The list below is credited to the Engagement Scholarship Consortium and can also be found on their Journals webpage. 

Sponsored by the Engagement Scholarship Consortium

The Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship (JCES) is a peer-reviewed international journal through which faculty, staff, students, and community partners disseminate scholarly works. The JCES integrates teaching, research, and community engagement in all disciplines, addressing critical problems identified through a community-participatory process. The editors and editorial board strive to make the JCES a leading journal of community engagement scholarship, one that is read, comprehended, and appreciated by both professional scholars and lay people. Board reviewers are supplemented by a diverse range of additional reviewers, including community partners and students, approved by the editor. The JCES is published by the Division of Community Affairs of the University of Alabama.


The Journal of Higher Education Outreach and Engagement (JHEOE) is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal for the advancement of theory and practice related to all forms of outreach and engagement between higher education institutions and communities. This includes highlighting innovative endeavors; critically examining emerging issues, trends, challenges, and opportunities; and reporting on studies of impact in the areas of public service, outreach, engagement, extension, engaged research, community-based research, community-based participatory research, action research, public scholarship, service-learning, and community service. The JHEOE is published by the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach, in partnership with the Institute of Higher Education and College of Education, of the University of Georgia.