Examining Community Engagement Frameworks in Higher Education -- 2
Budget: $250 – $750 USD
This systematic review addresses the following questions:
Primary research question
What are the guiding principles, mechanisms, and intended outcomes of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, the Community Capitals Framework, and Theory of Change, and how are these frameworks implemented in public and urban higher education contexts?
Secondary questions
• What common themes, applications, and challenges emerge when these frameworks are applied in higher education research and practice?
• How do the frameworks differ in their conceptualization of institutional alignment, systemic community impact, and causal accountability?
• How does use of the PRISMA framework support transparency and replicability in synthesizing evidence on community engagement frameworks?
• How can findings from this review inform comparative analysis of specific institutions, such as UDC, in understanding how frameworks translate into practice?
2. Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
Studies will be included if they meet all the following criteria:
• Published between 2009 and 2024
• Written in English
• Focus on higher education institutions
• Explicitly apply or analyze at least one of the following frameworks:
o Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
o Community Capitals Framework
o Theory of Change
• Provide empirical, evaluative, or applied use of the framework(s)
• Published as:
o Peer-reviewed journal articles
o Dissertations
o High-quality institutional or organizational reports
Exclusion Criteria
Studies will be excluded if they:
• Are purely theoretical or conceptual with no applied component
• Focus on areas outside of higher education
• Do not provide sufficient methodological transparency
• Are not available in full text
• Are published in languages other than English
3. Information Sources
The following databases will be searched:
• ERIC
• JSTOR
• ProQuest
• Google Scholar
In addition, backward and forward citation tracking will be conducted for all included studies. Gray literature (e.g., institutional and organizational reports) that meets inclusion criteria will also be included.
4.Search Strategy: Complete Search Strings
The following search strings will be adapted as needed to meet the arrangement requirements of individual databases. Truncation (*) and phrase searching (“ ”) will be applied where supported.
1. Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
(“Carnegie Community Engagement Classification” OR “Carnegie engagement classification” OR “elective community engagement classification”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “civic engagement” OR “public engagement”)
2. Community Capitals Framework
(“Community Capitals Framework” OR “community capitals” OR “seven capitals”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “community development” OR partnership* OR extension)
3.Theory of Change (ToC)
(“theory of change” OR “theory-of-change” OR “ToC framework”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “civic engagement” OR evaluation OR “program evaluation”)
5. Study Selection Process
The review will follow PRISMA guidelines for study selection and reporting.
1. Search results will be imported into a reference management system and deduplicated.
2. Titles and abstracts will be screened against eligibility criteria.
3. Full texts of potentially eligible studies will be reviewed for inclusion.
4. Reasons for exclusion at the full-text stage will be documented.
5. A PRISMA flow diagram will be produced to document the selection process.
All search results will be imported into Zotero for reference management and deduplication. De-duplicated records will then be uploaded to Rayyan for title/abstract and full-text screening following PRISMA guidelines. Final included studies will be managed in Zotero for citation and manuscript preparation.
6. Data Extraction
Data will be extracted using a standardized data extraction form developed prior to screening completion. Extracted data will include:
• Bibliographic information (author, year, source)
• Study design and methodology
• Institutional context (e.g., public/private; urban context if specified)
• Framework(s) applied
• Purpose of framework application
• Key principles and mechanisms emphasized
• Reported outcomes or evaluative focus
• Equity or social justice considerations, if present
• Reported strengths, limitations, or challenges associated with framework use
7. Data Synthesis
Given the conceptual and methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, no meta-analysis will be conducted.
Findings will be synthesized using:
• Thematic synthesis to identify recurring patterns, applications, and challenges across studies
• Comparative framework analysis to examine similarities and differences among the Carnegie Classification, Community Capitals Framework, and Theory of Change
Synthesis will focus on how frameworks are conceptualized and operationalized, rather than on program effectiveness.
8. Reporting Standards
This systematic review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to ensure transparency, consistency, and replicability.
Primary research question
What are the guiding principles, mechanisms, and intended outcomes of the Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, the Community Capitals Framework, and Theory of Change, and how are these frameworks implemented in public and urban higher education contexts?
Secondary questions
• What common themes, applications, and challenges emerge when these frameworks are applied in higher education research and practice?
• How do the frameworks differ in their conceptualization of institutional alignment, systemic community impact, and causal accountability?
• How does use of the PRISMA framework support transparency and replicability in synthesizing evidence on community engagement frameworks?
• How can findings from this review inform comparative analysis of specific institutions, such as UDC, in understanding how frameworks translate into practice?
2. Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
Studies will be included if they meet all the following criteria:
• Published between 2009 and 2024
• Written in English
• Focus on higher education institutions
• Explicitly apply or analyze at least one of the following frameworks:
o Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
o Community Capitals Framework
o Theory of Change
• Provide empirical, evaluative, or applied use of the framework(s)
• Published as:
o Peer-reviewed journal articles
o Dissertations
o High-quality institutional or organizational reports
Exclusion Criteria
Studies will be excluded if they:
• Are purely theoretical or conceptual with no applied component
• Focus on areas outside of higher education
• Do not provide sufficient methodological transparency
• Are not available in full text
• Are published in languages other than English
3. Information Sources
The following databases will be searched:
• ERIC
• JSTOR
• ProQuest
• Google Scholar
In addition, backward and forward citation tracking will be conducted for all included studies. Gray literature (e.g., institutional and organizational reports) that meets inclusion criteria will also be included.
4.Search Strategy: Complete Search Strings
The following search strings will be adapted as needed to meet the arrangement requirements of individual databases. Truncation (*) and phrase searching (“ ”) will be applied where supported.
1. Carnegie Community Engagement Classification
(“Carnegie Community Engagement Classification” OR “Carnegie engagement classification” OR “elective community engagement classification”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “civic engagement” OR “public engagement”)
2. Community Capitals Framework
(“Community Capitals Framework” OR “community capitals” OR “seven capitals”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “community development” OR partnership* OR extension)
3.Theory of Change (ToC)
(“theory of change” OR “theory-of-change” OR “ToC framework”) AND (university OR universities OR “higher education” OR college*) AND (“community engagement” OR “civic engagement” OR evaluation OR “program evaluation”)
5. Study Selection Process
The review will follow PRISMA guidelines for study selection and reporting.
1. Search results will be imported into a reference management system and deduplicated.
2. Titles and abstracts will be screened against eligibility criteria.
3. Full texts of potentially eligible studies will be reviewed for inclusion.
4. Reasons for exclusion at the full-text stage will be documented.
5. A PRISMA flow diagram will be produced to document the selection process.
All search results will be imported into Zotero for reference management and deduplication. De-duplicated records will then be uploaded to Rayyan for title/abstract and full-text screening following PRISMA guidelines. Final included studies will be managed in Zotero for citation and manuscript preparation.
6. Data Extraction
Data will be extracted using a standardized data extraction form developed prior to screening completion. Extracted data will include:
• Bibliographic information (author, year, source)
• Study design and methodology
• Institutional context (e.g., public/private; urban context if specified)
• Framework(s) applied
• Purpose of framework application
• Key principles and mechanisms emphasized
• Reported outcomes or evaluative focus
• Equity or social justice considerations, if present
• Reported strengths, limitations, or challenges associated with framework use
7. Data Synthesis
Given the conceptual and methodological heterogeneity of the included studies, no meta-analysis will be conducted.
Findings will be synthesized using:
• Thematic synthesis to identify recurring patterns, applications, and challenges across studies
• Comparative framework analysis to examine similarities and differences among the Carnegie Classification, Community Capitals Framework, and Theory of Change
Synthesis will focus on how frameworks are conceptualized and operationalized, rather than on program effectiveness.
8. Reporting Standards
This systematic review will be conducted and reported in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines to ensure transparency, consistency, and replicability.