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Sempa JB, Patil R, Mathewson JD, Kabelka H, Yaghmaei N, Coleman H, Sohoni P, Straetemans M, Gopalakrishna G, Wienia M, Kombe F, Alba S. Aligning the principles and practice of research integrity and research fairness in global health: a mixed-methods study. BMJ Glob Health 2024; 9:e013917. [PMID: 38519097 PMCID: PMC10961492 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-013917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In the past decade, global health research has seen a growing emphasis on research integrity and fairness. The concept of research integrity emerged in response to the reproducibility crisis in science during the late 2000s. Research fairness initiatives aim to enhance ownership and inclusivity in research involving partners with varying powers, decision-making roles and resource capacities, ultimately prioritising local health research needs. Despite extensive academic discussions, empirical data on these aspects, especially in the context of global health, remain limited. METHODS To address this gap, we conducted a mixed-methods study focusing on research integrity and fairness. The study included an online frequency survey and in-depth key informant interviews with researchers from international research networks. The dual objectives were to quantify the frequency of practices related to research integrity and fairness and explore the determinants influencing these practices in global health. RESULTS Out of 145 participants in the quantitative survey (8.4% response rate), findings indicate that global health researchers generally adhere to principles of research integrity and fairness, with variations in reported behaviours. The study identified structural, institutional and individual factors influencing these patterns, including donor landscape rigidity, institutional investments in relationship building, guidelines, mentoring and power differentials among researchers. CONCLUSION This research highlights that, despite some variations, there is a substantial alignment between research integrity and fairness, with both sharing similar determinants and the overarching goal of enhancing research quality and societal benefits. The study emphasises the potential to explicitly recognise and leverage these synergies, aligning both agendas to further advance global health research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Bukulu Sempa
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Biostatistics, University of the Free State, Bloemfontein, South Africa
| | - Rutuja Patil
- Vadu Rural Health Program, KEM Hospital Research Centre Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | | | | | - Nima Yaghmaei
- KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Harry Coleman
- KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Preeti Sohoni
- Vadu Rural Health Program, KEM Hospital Research Centre Pune, Pune, Maharashtra, India
| | | | - Gowri Gopalakrishna
- Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Wienia
- NWO-WOTRO Science for Global Development, The Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Francis Kombe
- EthiXPERT Proprietary NPC, Wierdapark, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Sandra Alba
- KIT Royal Tropical Institute, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Phillips KA, Marshall DA, Adler L, Figueroa J, Haeder SF, Hamad R, Hernandez I, Moucheraud C, Nikpay S. Ten health policy challenges for the next 10 years. HEALTH AFFAIRS SCHOLAR 2023; 1:qxad010. [PMID: 38756834 PMCID: PMC10986244 DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxad010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Health policies and associated research initiatives are constantly evolving and changing. In recent years, there has been a dizzying increase in research on emerging topics such as the implications of changing public and private health payment models, the global impact of pandemics, novel initiatives to tackle the persistence of health inequities, broad efforts to reduce the impact of climate change, the emergence of novel technologies such as whole-genome sequencing and artificial intelligence, and the increase in consumer-directed care. This evolution demands future-thinking research to meet the needs of policymakers in translating science into policy. In this paper, the Health Affairs Scholar editorial team describes "ten health policy challenges for the next 10 years." Each of the ten assertions describes the challenges and steps that can be taken to address those challenges. We focus on issues that are traditionally studied by health services researchers such as cost, access, and quality, but then examine emerging and intersectional topics: equity, income, and justice; technology, pharmaceuticals, markets, and innovation; population health; and global health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn A Phillips
- UCSF Center for Translational and Policy Research on Precision Medicine (TRANSPERS), University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
| | - Deborah A Marshall
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4Z6, Canada
| | - Loren Adler
- USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy, Brookings Institution, Washington, DC 90089, United States
| | - Jose Figueroa
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
- Department of Medicine, Brigham & Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Simon F Haeder
- Department of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, United States
| | - Rita Hamad
- Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, United States
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94110, United States
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, United States
| | - Inmaculada Hernandez
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA 92093, United States
| | - Corrina Moucheraud
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
- UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90024, United States
| | - Sayeh Nikpay
- Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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Manan MR, Nawaz I, Rahman S, Razzaq A, Zafar F, Qazi A, Liblik K. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Editorial Boards of Global Health Journals. Asian Bioeth Rev 2023. [PMCID: PMC10018626 DOI: 10.1007/s41649-023-00243-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Journals have been described as “duty bearers” of upholding fundamental ethical principles that are essential for maintaining the ethical integrity of newly generated and disseminated knowledge. To play our part, we evaluated diversity and inclusion in the leadership and management of global and international health journals. We developed Journal Diversity Index (JDI) to measure three parameters of diversity and representation (gender, geographic, socioeconomic status). Relevant information regarding editorial board members of systematically screened journals was sequentially extracted and job titles were categorized into five editorial roles. Chi-squared test was utilized to study associations between gender and geographic distribution of editors along with the Medline indexing of the journal and its impact factor. Out of 43 journals included, 62.7% were published from two high-income countries. Women comprised 44% of the total editors. Among all the editorial board members, we did not find any information suggesting the representation of non-binary and transgender individuals. Furthermore, 68.2% of editors were based in high-income countries with 67.3% of the editors belonging to the Global North. This disparity in geographic region and socioeconomic level was observed across all five editorial roles. Among all women editors, more than 70% worked in non-Medline and non-impact factor journals. Only two journals scored “excellent” on JDI. Despite the continuous evolution of the definition of global health ethics, marginalized individuals, and their perspectives remain underrepresented in this field. Thus, we call for swift action regarding the decentralization and redistribution of global and international health journal editorial boards.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Iqra Nawaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Quaid-e-Azam Medical College, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Sara Rahman
- Faculty of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Areeba Razzaq
- Faculty of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fatima Zafar
- Faculty of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Arisha Qazi
- Faculty of Medicine, Services Institute of Medical Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kiera Liblik
- Faculty of Medicine, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON Canada
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Memon AR, Ahmed I, Ghaffar N, Ahmed K, Sadiq I. Where are female editors from low-income and middle-income countries? A comprehensive assessment of gender, geographical distribution and country’s income group of editorial boards of top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals. Br J Sports Med 2022; 56:458-468. [DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-105042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
ObjectiveWe aimed to examine the gender, geographical region and income group of the country of affiliation for editorial leadership (eg, editor-in-chief, section editor, associate editor) and advisors (eg, editorial board members) in top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals.MethodsA list of Scopus indexed, Q1 (25% top) rehabilitation and sports science journals, available under four different journal categories, was prepared based on the data from the Scientific Journal Rankings (SJR) website. The information for editorial leadership and advisors for these journals was obtained and their gender was determined through a multistep process. The country of affiliation of editorial leadership and advisors was used to categorise them to World Bank’s different geographical regions and income groups (for countries).ResultsThere were 7248 editors (35.7% leadership and 64.3% advisors) across 113 rehabilitation and sports science journals. Of all editors, 1792 (24.7%) were women. Women represented 24.5% of editorial leadership positions, 24.8% of advisory roles and 10.4% of editors-in-chief. Editors from South Asia (0.5%) and sub-Saharan Africa (0.6%) had the least representation, while those affiliated with institutions from high-income countries represented 93.5% of leadership roles and 93.1% of advisory positions. Moreover, editors affiliated with institutions from North America occupied almost half of all editorial roles.ConclusionsWomen and researchers affiliated with institutions from low-income and middle-income countries are under-represented on the editorial boards of top-ranked rehabilitation and sports science journals indexed in the Scopus database. Editors are responsible for promoting research in their specific field, and therefore, the current leadership in rehabilitation and sports science journals should consider diversifying their editorial boards by providing equitable opportunities to women and researchers from a broader geographical distribution.
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Bestwick H, Teh JQ, Mowforth O, Grodzinski B, Kotter M, Davies B. Existing Funding Sources in DCM: A Review (Preprint). Interact J Med Res 2022; 11:e36194. [PMID: 35771617 PMCID: PMC9284365 DOI: 10.2196/36194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Henry Bestwick
- Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jye Quan Teh
- Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Oliver Mowforth
- Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ben Grodzinski
- Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Mark Kotter
- Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Benjamin Davies
- Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosurgery, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Passos MJ, Matta G, Lyra TM, Moreira MEL, Kuper H, Penn-Kekana L, Mendonça M. The promise and pitfalls of social science research in an emergency: lessons from studying the Zika epidemic in Brazil, 2015-2016. BMJ Glob Health 2020; 5:e002307. [PMID: 32345582 PMCID: PMC7213811 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2020-002307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 03/25/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Social science generates evidence necessary to control epidemics. It can help to craft appropriate public health responses, develop solutions to the epidemic impacts and improve understanding of why the epidemic occurred. Yet, there are practical constraints in undertaking this international research in a way that produces quality, ethical and appropriate data, and that values all voices and experiences, especially those of local researchers and research participants. In this paper, we reflected on the experience of undertaking social science research during the 2015/2016 Zika epidemic in Brazil. This experience was considered from the perspective of this paper's authors: three Brazilian academics, two UK academics and two mothers of children affected by congenital Zika syndrome. This group came together through the conduct of the Social and Economic Impact of Zika study, a mixed-methods social science study. The key findings highlight practical issues in the achievement of three goals: the conduct of high-quality social science in emergencies and efforts towards the decolonisation of global health in terms of levelling the power between Brazilian and UK researchers and optimising the role of patients within research. From our perspective, the information collected through social science was valuable, providing detailed insight into the programmatic needs of mothers and their affected children (eg, economic and social support and mental health services). Social science was considered a low priority within the Zika epidemic despite its potential importance. There were logistical challenges in conducting social science research, foremost of which are the difficulties in developing a trusting and balanced power relationship between the UK and Brazilian researchers in a short time frame. When these issues were overcome, each partner brought unique qualities, making the research stronger. The mothers of affected children expressed dissatisfaction with research, as they were involved in many studies which were not coordinated, and from which they did not see a benefit. In conclusion, the importance of social science in epidemics must continue to be promoted by funders. Funders can also set in place mechanisms to help equalise the power dynamics between foreign and local researchers, researchers and participants, both to promote justice and to create best quality data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gustavo Matta
- Escola Nacional de Saúde Pública, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Tereza Maciel Lyra
- Aggeu Magalhães Institute, FIOCRUZ/PE, Recife, Brazil
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | | | - Hannah Kuper
- International Centre for Evidence in Disability, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Loveday Penn-Kekana
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Hoffman SJ, Gunn E, Rogers Van Katwyk S, Nixon S. Systematic analysis of global health research funding in Canada, 2000-2016. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH = REVUE CANADIENNE DE SANTE PUBLIQUE 2020; 111:80-95. [PMID: 31696423 PMCID: PMC7046862 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-019-00247-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Considering recent shifts in global funding landscapes, this study analyzes Canada's long-term global health research funding trends in the hope of informing a new Canadian global health research strategy. Examining past investments can help prioritize limited future resources to either build on Canada's existing strengths or fill gaps where needed, while simultaneously informing the investments of research funders in other countries. METHODS Administrative data were analyzed covering all 1584 global health research grants awarded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) to 927 unique principal investigators from 2000 to 2016, totalling C$341 million. Existing metadata associated with each grant was supplemented by additional qualitative coding. Descriptive time-series analyses of global health research grant data were conducted using various measures related to each grant's recipient (e.g., province, university, sex, distribution) and subject matter (e.g., research theme, area, focus). RESULTS CIHR's total annual global health research funding increased sharply from $3.6 million in FY2000/2001 to $30.3 million in FY2015/2016, with the largest share of research funding now focused on health equity-representing nearly 50% of CIHR's global health research funding. Past grants have concentrated on infectious disease and public health research. One third of CIHR's global health grant funding went to 20 principal investigators. Only 42.2% of global health research funding came from CIHR's open investigator-driven competitions, with the rest coming from strategic priority-driven competitions. CONCLUSION Global health research has seen steady increases in funding from CIHR's open competitions when preceded by investment in strategic competitions, which suggests the level of a national research funding agency's strategic investments in global health research may determine the size of the field in their country. The greatest concentration of past investment lies in health equity research, followed by infectious disease research. Future analyses of research funding would benefit from an internationally accepted keyword classification scheme and more granular administrative data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Hoffman
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence & Impact and McMaster Health Forum, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
- Department of Global Health & Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA.
- School of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Elliot Gunn
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Susan Rogers Van Katwyk
- Global Strategy Lab, Dahdaleh Institute for Global Health Research, Faculty of Health and Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- School of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephanie Nixon
- Department of Physical Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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Nafade V, Sen P, Pai M. Global health journals need to address equity, diversity and inclusion. BMJ Glob Health 2019; 4:e002018. [PMID: 31750004 PMCID: PMC6830051 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2019-002018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Vaidehi Nafade
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Paulami Sen
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Madhukar Pai
- Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,McGill Global Health Programs, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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