RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 ‘Be Gentle and Be Sincere About It’: A Story About Community-Based Primary Care Research JF The Annals of Family Medicine JO Ann Fam Med FD American Academy of Family Physicians SP 463 OP 465 DO 10.1370/afm.891 VO 6 IS 5 A1 Andrew L. Sussman A1 Marino Rivera YR 2008 UL http://www.annfammed.org/content/6/5/463.abstract AB Practice-based researchers in primry care have increasingly recognized the need to include community members in research efforts. In this reflective vignette, the importance of community engagement is realized through the researcher’s ability to elicit and interpret an alternative story told by a respected local resident in a focus group. The focus group was part of a study examining communication between patients and clinicians about traditional medicine in New Mexico. During this session, yerba mansa, a plant used in traditional medicine, became a powerful cultural metaphor for expressing concerns about the intentions of outside researchers. This story shows how creating opportunities for sustained engagement with the people we serve can lead to more sensitive ways to establish research partnerships.