Engaging your research community: creating connection and belonging

By Dr Elaine Gourlay, Research Culture Specialist for Communities & Collegiality

The Research Culture and Researcher Development Team at the University of Glasgow believes that everyone is at their best when they are connected to others, and we thrive when we come together as a collective. The Research Culture Team host and support a number of communities and networks, which are now brought together as on our fresh new webpage entitled Connection and Belonging.

The importance of community

 In the context of developing our researchers and research culture, “It is critical for both surviving and thriving, to be strongly connected and actively participating with the community—harnessing strengths from various stakeholders as well as giving and receiving support in equal measure.” Elliot, et al (2023)

There are lots of analogies out there to describe what it means to be part of a research community, the most common probably being ‘finding your people*’ or ‘it takes a village’. However, when I think of community, I tend to think more about how trees interact with each other in a forest network.

A single lonely tree will likely struggle to weather a storm when it is isolated and exposed to the elements. However, when part of the forest, a tree becomes part of a collective; it gains strength and support by having connections and communication with others around it. The coming together of trees in a forest creates a living breathing dynamic space that enables its inhabitants to thrive; the forest provides shelter, nourishment, space for variation and variety, and even presents challenges for its inhabitants – a community can also provide all of this for its members.

Being part of a community can be a place where you develop or are able to exhibit your individual identity, but you are supported in doing so by being part of a group. And communities are so much more than what we see when looking from the outside in, like the forest, there is a complex network of roots under the surface of a community. Strong communities are nurtured through the members sharing common ground, having mutual values or working towards a common goal (Wenger, 1998).

Your community is all around you, but it can sometimes be tough to see the wood for the trees – especially if you’re right in the thick of it, which I think is commonly experienced by many individuals across the research ecosystem.

Why communities are essential, specifically in research

Quite simply, communities are essential in research because research is hard. It can be incredibly isolating at times and is hugely self-driven, so connecting individuals across the research ecosystem can provide support throughout the research journey.

Researchers and Research Professionals are often navigating a large organisation and facing the ‘hidden curriculum’ Elliot, et al (2023), so connecting via communities provides spaces to share the implicit experiences, air unseen issues and discuss those otherwise unspoken customs and unwritten rules within the institution or discipline.

It’s important to note that community doesn’t only benefit the individual, communities also tap into the collective knowledge/hive mind of expertise that exists within the university as a whole and bring this together. This can resolve, raise, or even rectify common issues and can encourage the development of new policies or update or clarification for processes and procedures.

Additionally, building communities for all and connecting researchers and university professionals across the entire institution encourages contact between different job families and expertise that makes up the ecosystem, promotes peer learning, fosters greater understanding of the plights and joys faced by different groups, and can allow our research culture to flourish by creating alliance for the shared endeavour that is research.

The features of effective communities

I find it incredibly interesting to look at different communities and wonder what makes a particular community thrive, and why others seem to struggle to get off the ground. I think the key here is delivering something that will engage with widest range of community members, and the secret ingredient to that, is simply finding something which resonates with many group members.

What this looks like in practice will likely take a different form within every community (and indeed what will draw in some members will not be a hit with everyone). However, I think there are a few steps that anyone establishing a community can take to show your members that you mean business, and that’s something that can go a long way to building your following. I share these below:

1. Demonstrate senior sponsorship and strategic alignment for the community

A community that is backed by the Department, Directorate, School, College or whole Institution brings with it an endorsement. Not only does this legitimise the time members will spend engaging with the community, but this backing also demonstrates the potential ‘reach’ of the membership – who’s involved, and who your members can be connected with if they join.

Demonstrating this level of support can take many forms – from the less involved addition of text communicating ‘senior backing’ on materials relating to the community, to senior leaders providing regular, valuable and active input and championing. Senior colleagues talking about the importance of the community, using official platforms, processes (e.g. inductions, PDR) and communication channels to celebrate the value and successes of the network, goes a long way!

Furthermore, having a clear picture of why there is a need for this community, and the strategic drivers behind it, will not only invite backing from key stakeholders, but it also clearly presents the gap this community will address for its members. It shows all parties how the community will help them achieve their professional goals.

2. Devise a model for community ownership and leadership

For a community to thrive, it needs to be led. This doesn’t mean that there needs to be one person at the helm, in fact, that model in isolation may even be detrimental. While it can be important to have a clear leader or a group of leaders, it’s also crucial for members to feel like they have a stake in how their community is shaped. Giving everyone a voice, might start to sound like there are ‘too many cooks’ but having defined and purposeful distributed leadership models can be a great way to ensure that a community is led by many voices that are there to represent the diverse needs of all its members.

Clearly defining and openly communicating your intended leadership model with members can be empowering for the community, as it can open up opportunities for your members to lead from within, for example by democratically electing an Executive Committee from within its member-base (such as The UofG Research Professional Staff Network) or inviting members to become community co-leads (as in The UofG Culture Commons).

Consultations at defined timepoints (for example when establishing the community, and at key review and/or refresh points) can also be a great way to invite members to put their ideas forward, keeping the dialogue flowing with the community leaders.

3. Resourcing the community

An effective community won’t just run on good faith! Resourcing the community can also take a variety of forms. A community may need financial support to deliver on its aims, but equally, communities are fuelled by the expertise needed to bring people together for conversations.

Communities may need expertise or experience, either inherently in their running and day to day management, or to bring to their members to fulfil specific development aims. A community is not just a recipient of knowledge doled out to it, but is a great source of expertise in itself, and that should be kept at the forefront of the minds of those leading it.

The one resource every community needs is time. Time from its members and time from its leaders. It’s essential to consider the time commitment expectations when developing distributed leadership models, and planning your programme of events.

Communities to nurture a variety of needs

It’s important to highlight that communities need not be directly focused on making progress towards defined goals. Advocating for representation, connection, or personal development, and taking time out to have a break and get some headspace can all be beneficial. Sure, maybe you’ll make a connection that leads to a parading shifting professional breakthrough, but it’s not a prerequisite for participation!

Whether for you community is being part of a forest, finding your team, building your network for your career development, or making time and space to reflect, relax and recharge, or even all of the above, there are lots of ways to get involved.

And if you haven’t found the right forest, or located the others in your village just yet, build up a community space and call out to them – maybe they’re out there desperate to find you too!

* We acknowledge that previously many authors have often used the term ‘tribe’, and this metaphor is used in the linked blog post. We acknowledge the problematic nature of appropriating terminology from indigenous cultures, and seek not to replicate it in our own university communities and communications.