In the Operationalization phase, the focus shifts to turning your research plan into usable data by collecting and coding the laws, then preparing them for analysis. Read across the legal epi objectives to the paired community power building questions to consider how community voices can shape what data is collected, how it is coded, and how it is made meaningful.
Your Phase 2 Objectives:
- Gather the laws and policies from the jurisdictions identified in Phase 1 that are specific to your research question.
- Code each law or policy using the questions and answers from your coding scheme. Combine the coded legal data with health or outcome data so they can be analyzed together.
- Bring in both legal/policy experts and data/statistical experts to ensure the data is accurate and ready for analysis.
*See examples of many of the steps above in the resources section
For each step in Phase 2, how can you:
Act Collectively
- Key Question: How are we seeking culturally appropriate methods that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches?
- Who is engaged (especially non-technical partners) in prioritizing what data is collected and how it shapes the research approach?
- How are we fostering a shared purpose for the work?
Shift Narratives
- Key Question: Who is engaged in making meaning of collected and selected data and how are we engaging cultural guides/interpreters to provide nuances of meaning in our analysis?
- As laws and policies are measured, where will we explore community narratives surrounding these policies?
- Do the causal pathways represent our emerging narratives, and the narratives held by community and partners?
Engage Communities Authentically
- Key Question: How do we build the capacity of community to shift power and engage them in making meaning of the technical process of coding and analysis?
- Who holds power during this phase? Who are the doers and decision makers during this phase?
- Where are opportunities to amplify community voice and center those most affected by the outcomes we are trying to address?
Cultivate relationships
- Key Question: How are we engaging partners and ensuring partnerships are relational and not transactional?
- How do we communicate about technical aspects in accessible, compelling ways to cultivate and sustain community interest?
