Research with East London Communities: Place-based Guidance and Resources

Developed by Queen Mary University of London alongside community partners and Neighbourly Lab, the guidance recognises and outlines the diversity of East London’s places and people. It focuses specifically on how to work with local communities, rather than offering generic advice on place‑based research.

Who the guidance is for

This resource is designed for:

• Researchers and research support staff at Queen Mary and other universities
• Staff and volunteers in community, voluntary and civic organisations across East London
• People at all levels of research experience – whether already working with East London communities or looking to begin

What the guidance supports

The guide offers practical advice, principles and resources to help teams research in equitable partnership with communities and organisations that hold lived experience and local expertise. We hope that by writing this guidance, we can support more East London focused research that leads to meaningful impacts for residents, neighbourhoods and local organisations.

How it fits within the Queen Mary civic mission

This guidance forms part of QMUL’s wider commitment to strengthening its civic research culture - research that is inclusive, engaged, interdisciplinary and aligned with local priorities. It supports the ambitions of:

• Queen Mary's Civic University Agreement, which formalises the university’s long-term commitment to work in, with and for East London
• The Queen Mary East London Research Network
• The East London Civic Action Network

Together, these Queen Mary initiatives aim to deepen equitable partnerships and maximise positive impact across East London.

Download:

Research with East London Communities - Place-based guidance and resources [PDF 6,600KB]