An audacious approach to incorporating students into the ethnographic research process

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss the experience of the Idaho CommuniVax local team and how a large-scale incorporation of college students into its ethnographic research process ensured bona-fide community engagement and a deeper understanding of the experiences of Hispanic community members as they considered COVID-19 vaccination within the broader context of non-Hispanic, rural, agricultural southeastern Idaho. We detail the logic behind the steps we took to rapidly recruit, train, and provide future-oriented opportunities for 20 students who were studying a variety of disciplines. The students were from geographic localities in or near the research communities of interest. Their familial and social connections served as critical information channels between policy-makers, decision-makers, academics, and community members. Their varied ethnic backgrounds and their sheer number resulted in comprehensive research results and an expansive network of evidence-based COVID-19 information sharing that would have been impossible without their involvement.