Community of Practice on Evidence for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (CoP-EDR)

AIR's Center on Knowledge Translation for Disability and Rehabilitation Research (KTDRR) sponsors a Community of Practice (CoP) on Evidence for D&R Research (CoP-EDR). The CoP-EDR focuses on the creation, evaluation and use of evidence and related topics identified by the members themselves.

The basic idea underlying a CoP is people with similar interests and needs helping one another to support and improve their professional activities. They benefit when they 'get something' from others, but maybe benefit even more when they give something to others. The CoP members use email (electronic discussion list), teleconferencing and webcasts to be in contact with one another, to 'attend' meetings of the entire group and of subgroups, and sometimes will use phone calls to communicate on a one-to-one basis.

The Center on KTDRR supports the CoP by organizing meetings and calls, and making available information and experts that the members say they have a need for. It is hoped that information and the expertise will be found among the members, but the resources that the KTDRR has set aside also make it possible to go outside the group. The following individuals work with the CoP to facilitate communication and provide needed resources:

• Tanya Horsley, PhD (CoP facilitator) is Associate Director of Research at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario.
• Joann Starks, MEd, KTDRR’s Training Lead provides support as needed to the CoP.

For more information about participating in the Community of Practice, please contact: Joann Starks