The suggested intervention approach encompasses three main activities; community engagement, capacity building and community-based research. The main reason for the feasibility of this three-pronged approach is it requires simple execution, monitoring, and observation. The feasibility of a study needs to be established prior to carrying out the formulation of (Kothari, 2004). The approach has been evaluated in detail and is feasible.
There is a comprehensive framework that can establish if a research is feasible or not. The basic question is if the study can be realized (Flick, 2015). The answer is yes, that it can be realized. Similar examples of the groups that this study seeks to establish can be found in the example of East African Health Study. This implies that the research is doable as the research work has been successfully done before.
Community engagement approach involves creating community groups in Edmonton. These groups will be highly targeted as the purpose is to create awareness among the infected people. This is relatively easier to accomplish as the HIV-infected individuals will be contacted through clinics offering them a support group. Moreover, the strategy is effective, as it is far better than handing out flyers mentioning HIV prevention precautions.
A new researcher should start with the social science perspective on the issue (Khan, 2011). The social science aspect of this study is that the mentioned strategies have been crafted for their effectiveness (successful community intervention among people with mental health problems, cancer etc.). The focus is on the engagement of the groups, these will also be given autonomy, which means that they can organize events to promote awareness. Giving this autonomy is not only feasible but highly desired as the groups can figure out which strategies are working and which are not.
Capacity building requires more focus and attention compared to creating groups and giving them autonomy. Community-based intervention will require the help of experts to intervene in an ethical and effective manner. The group will need to have an administrative system. To achieve this, I will personally assist in researching best intervention strategies from credible sources that can be implemented in the group gathered for this study.
It is convenient for this study that research groups such as East African Health Study already exist. Hence, researching for this study will be much easier to accomplish since a proven system is already in place. This study will not depend on re-inventing the wheel to understand the behaviors and attitudes of the African Black Caribbean (ACB) community. The feasibility becomes attainable as the research approach is simple and relies on the relatively small number of factors. The more complex a problem is the more factors the research needs to incorporate to make the study feasible (Novikov and Novikov, 2013).
Others (research academics and the general public) will be able to replicate this study. They will also be able to corroborate the methods and findings of this research. Replicating a research means that another researcher, investigator or user might repeat the research project, where the focus is on using the process and getting similar results (Schwartz-Shea, & Yanow, 2013). The main reason for focusing the research on group engagement and autonomy is to make the research as practical as possible. This is essential in experimental research to account for the complexity of real life scenarios, while keeping replicability and objectivity in check (Duke and Mallette, 2011).
Since the focus of this study is on creating effective groups that will engage and educate the ABC community regarding HIV, there will definitely be the need for adjustments. However, these adjustments will be made during the course of the research to make them as effective as possible. For instance, if the engagement rate of a group lowers then adjustments will need to be made according to the recommendations of the group. An example would be that group activity might be too time-consuming, or the marketing and promotion strategy might be ignoring certain crucial aspects. To cater to this issue, split testing will be used frequently in promotions of awareness programs to see which approach produces the best results.
Without replicability of a research, its usefulness is too restricted. The way this research will be replicable is that the findings of the study will be offered to researchers and the general public. They will know which group formation and engagement strategies worked the best and which ones need improvements. They will also be able to modify the research methodology and could apply it in other parts of Canada (or anywhere in the world). This will add on to the on-going research on HIV awareness.
A generalization can sum up the feasibility of the study. Any person affected by HIV or knows someone who is, or is prone to get infected due to a certain lifestyle, would be interested in learning about the issue. A group which is properly advertised offering a solution to serious problems will definitely draw their attention. After joining the group(s), they would want to be more active as it will reward their efforts. When the infected individual and researchers will see the results, such as improved awareness or even a decline in HIV infection rate among the ACB community, this model will be used effectively for replicating.
References
Duke, N. K., & Mallette, M. H. (Eds.). (2011). Literacy research methodologies. Guilford Press.
Flick, U. (2015). Introducing research methodology: A beginner's guide to doing a research project. Sage.
Khan, J. A. (2011). Research methodology. APH Publishing Corporation.
Kothari, C. R. (2004). Research methodology: Methods and techniques. New Age International.
Novikov, A. M., & Novikov, D. A. (2013). Research methodology: From philosophy of science to research design (Vol. 2). CRC Press.
Schwartz-Shea, P., & Yanow, D. (2013). Interpretive research design: Concepts and processes. Routledge.
