Community-based action research has received increased attention in health research as an important vehicle for both knowledge creation and community capacity-building. This approach to research is value-driven, attuned to power issues, committed to stakeholder participation, and action-oriented. Efforts to build capacity within the health research community to engage collaboratively with communities in action research projects must be predicated on a framework that delineates the preferred knowledge base/core concepts, skill sets, and the combination of classroom-based, academic learning, and supervised field learning that is required. In this article we propose a praxis framework that integrates the core concepts, core competencies, and training processes for graduate education in community health action research. We review current opportunities for training in this approach in Canada and illustrate how two graduate programs in different disciplines currently operationalize the elements of the proposed framework.
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