Engaging in Energy Communities: The role of the researcher (A workbook and planning guide)

This workbook / planning guide was designed as an outreach tool to support students and early-career researchers who are studying the social impacts of energy development and wish to better understand and mitigate “research fatigue,” a state in which citizens of a community who are already experiencing massive change may be exhausted by additional attention from researchers, the media and others outside the community.

The workbook can be used as a stand-alone resource or as a complement to the Understanding Research Fatigue online module (https://eu.courses.montana.edu/CourseStatus.awp?&course=2021AFATIGUE). It will help researchers strategically plan their approaches to working in energy-impacted communities in order to minimize the risk of research fatigue.

The workbook includes planning tools for: familiarizing oneself with a community prior to research work; choosing and supporting key stakeholders; exploring reciprocity, risk and sustainability; disseminating results within the community and the profession; and considering the potential impacts on the researcher.