Research has the greatest potential to effect change in practice and policy when (1) it is conducted in collaboration with practitioners rather than conducted by an academic researcher alone, and (2) its findings are meaningfully communicated to the people who influence policy and practice (Block, Engel, Naureckas, & Riordan, 1999; Mouradian, Mechanic, & Williams, 2001). However, very little information has been shared by researchers and practitioners who have collaborated successfully so that future collaborations could benefit from their lessons learned.
Toward the aim of learning through the lessons and experiences of others, researchers and practitioners from the United States and Canada were asked to share their personal “highlights” and “lowlights” of collaborating. The information shared can be useful to researchers and practitioners new to collaborating as well as those who have substantial experience collaborating. The purpose of this brief is to communicate those high‐ and lowlights so that they can inform the development of future research collaborations and contribute to their likelihood of their success.
