Lessons Learned by Implementing a Voluntary Community-Based Parenting Training Study

Conducting research can be both challenging and rewarding. In doing research with a community-based sample of parents, I have learned the frustration of participant attrition and the pride of parental empowerment. Working as a collaborator on a project and then becoming the principal investigator on a project have shaped me to understand how to analyze data and re-think previous research questions. This case study aims to de-mystify the research process for students and early career professionals through the story of Purposeful Parenting. Challenges and successes are explored within the context of an institutional review board-approved research study. Implications for future researchers are also discussed.