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Connery A, Salsberg J. Exploring participatory health research and its application to speech and language therapy research practices. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF LANGUAGE & COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2023. [PMID: 38130139 DOI: 10.1111/1460-6984.12994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The role of participatory health research (PHR) is increasingly acknowledged by funding bodies, researchers and civil society globally; however, it continues to be under-represented in the speech and language therapy (SLT) research literature. This collaborative research approach is associated with the increased application of research evidence, and the generation of positive impacts in practice, policy, health systems and society. AIMS To increase researchers' and other participatory partners' understanding of PHR, and to demonstrate its applicability to research in the SLT field. METHODS & PROCEDURES This aim is achieved through a discussion on PHR, its principles, benefits and challenges, and the evaluation of its impact. A recently developed evaluation framework to support the implementation of best engagement practices is examined, and recommendations for how this framework can be used to plan and evaluate engagement in participatory stuttering research is presented. MAIN CONTRIBUTION This paper serves as an important conversation on the value of PHR to SLT research, and presents guidance to support its increased implementation in this research field. CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS Conclusions & Implications: PHR remains an under-represented research approach in the SLT literature, despite increasing evidence demonstrating its effectiveness and value. It offers a potential solution to the research-practice gap, and challenges the ongoing research hierarchies by democrating the process of knowledge production. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS What is already known on this subject PHR is increasingly attracting the attention of funders, researchers and decision-makers due to a growing body of evidence in support of this collaborative research approach. Despite its potential to bridge the research-practice gap, PHR remains significantly under-represented in the SLT research literature. What this paper adds to the existing knowledge This paper discusses the principles, benefits, challenges and impact evaluation of PHR. A recently developed evaluation framework for supporting the implementation of best engagement practices is examined. A demonstration of how this framework can be used to plan and evaluate engagement in participatory stuttering research is presented. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Speech and language therapists play a key role in PHR, as co-researchers contributing essential context-based knowledge. It is therefore imperative that they understand the principles and practices of this approach in order to maximize their input in future participatory partnerships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Connery
- Department of Clinical Speech & Language Studies, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Jon Salsberg
- Public and Patient Involvement Research Unit, School of Medicine, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Health Research Institute (HRI), University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
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Peyro-Saint-Paul L, Gaillard C, Paris A, Gourio C, Zerger C, Ficheux M, Grandazzi G, Parienti JJ, Morello R. Compensating patients in trials: Perspectives from an ethical committee versus sponsor. Eur J Clin Invest 2023; 53:e14044. [PMID: 37345217 DOI: 10.1111/eci.14044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND According to European clinical research legislation, no undue influence, including financial incentives, should be used to encourage participation in clinical trials. Financial compensation should be based on the inconvenience experienced by patients and is determined by the sponsor. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to assess the adequacy of patients' financial compensation by obtaining an external ethical opinion compared to the actual compensation provided. METHODS We randomly selected and reviewed 50 clinical drug trials, including 25 academic and 25 industry-sponsored studies. An external ethics group consisting of three members from French ethics committees, blinded to the actual compensation and the sponsor, retrospectively reviewed the study characteristics and assessed whether financial compensation was appropriate. Cohen's Kappa test measured agreement between actual compensation and the ethics group's opinion, and the McNemar test measured discrepancies. RESULTS There was no agreement between the actual financial compensation and the ethics group's opinion (K = -.07; 95% CI = [-.16-.02]). More discrepancies were found in favour of financial compensation according to the ethics group than provided by sponsors (12 vs. 2, p = .016). The ethics group recommended financial compensation in 12 out of 50 studies (24%), which were studies with a higher number of additional visits (p = .004) and were more frequently sponsored by industry (p = .008). Sponsors only provided financial compensation in 2 out of 50 studies (4%). CONCLUSION Patients are rarely compensated despite the perceived inconvenience. Both sponsors and ethics members struggle to determine the need for financial compensation, indicating a need for more precise recommendations for both parties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laure Peyro-Saint-Paul
- Pharmacovigilant, Responsable de lunite de vigilance des essais cliniques (UVEC), Direction de la Recherche et de l'innovation, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Cathy Gaillard
- Pharmacovigilant, Responsable de lunite de vigilance des essais cliniques (UVEC), Direction de la Recherche et de l'innovation, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | | | - Charlotte Gourio
- Pharmacovigilant, Responsable de lunite de vigilance des essais cliniques (UVEC), Direction de la Recherche et de l'innovation, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | - Céleste Zerger
- Université Paris Descartes Faculté de Médecine, Paris, France
| | - Maxence Ficheux
- Pharmacovigilant, Responsable de lunite de vigilance des essais cliniques (UVEC), Direction de la Recherche et de l'innovation, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
| | | | | | - Rémy Morello
- Pharmacovigilant, Responsable de lunite de vigilance des essais cliniques (UVEC), Direction de la Recherche et de l'innovation, CHU Caen Normandie, Caen, France
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Saleh S, Sambakunsi H, Makina D, Chinouya M, Kumwenda M, Chirombo J, Semple S, Mortimer K, Rylance J. Personal exposures to fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide in relation to cooking activities in rural Malawi. Wellcome Open Res 2023; 7:251. [PMID: 36874568 PMCID: PMC9975423 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18050.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor for cardiorespiratory disease. Exposures to household air pollution from cooking and other activities, are particularly high in Southern Africa. Following an extended period of participant observation in a village in Malawi, we aimed to assess individuals' exposures to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) and to investigate the different sources of exposure, including different cooking methods. Methods: Adult residents of a village in Malawi wore personal PM 2.5 and CO monitors for 24-48 hours, sampling every 1 (CO) or 2 minutes (PM 2.5). Subsequent in-person interviews recorded potential exposure details over the time periods. We present means and interquartile ranges for overall exposures and summaries stratified by time and activity (exposure). We employed multivariate regression to further explore these characteristics, and Spearman rank correlation to examine the relationship between paired PM 2.5 and CO exposures. Results : Twenty participants (17 female; median age 40 years, IQR: 37-56) provided 831 hours of paired PM 2.5 and CO data. Concentrations of PM 2.5 during combustion activity, usually cooking, far exceeded background levels (no combustion activity): 97.9μg/m 3 (IQR: 22.9-482.0), vs 7.6μg/m 3, IQR: 2.5-20.6 respectively. Background PM 2.5 concentrations were higher during daytime hours (11.7μg/m 3 [IQR: 5.2-30.0] vs 3.3μg/m 3 at night [IQR: 0.7-8.2]). Highest exposures were influenced by cooking location but associated with charcoal use (for CO) and firewood on a three-stone fire (for PM 2.5). Cooking-related exposures were higher in more ventilated places, such as outside the household or on a walled veranda, than during indoor cooking. Conclusions : The study demonstrates the value of combining personal PM 2.5 exposure data with detailed contextual information for providing deeper insights into pollution sources and influences. The finding of similar/lower exposures during cooking in seemingly less-ventilated places should prompt a re-evaluation of proposed clean air interventions in these settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepeedeh Saleh
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Henry Sambakunsi
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Debora Makina
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Martha Chinouya
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Moses Kumwenda
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - James Chirombo
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Sean Semple
- University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Kevin Mortimer
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
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4
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Toward equitable payment for inclusive participation. J Clin Transl Sci 2023; 7:e58. [PMID: 37008619 PMCID: PMC10052444 DOI: 10.1017/cts.2023.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
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Saleh S, Sambakunsi H, Makina D, Chinouya M, Kumwenda M, Chirombo J, Semple S, Mortimer K, Rylance J. Personal exposures to fine particulate matter and carbon monoxide in relation to cooking activities in rural Malawi. Wellcome Open Res 2022; 7:251. [PMID: 36874568 PMCID: PMC9975423 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.18050.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Air pollution is a major environmental risk factor for cardiorespiratory disease. Exposures to household air pollution from cooking and other activities, are particularly high in Southern Africa. Following an extended period of participant observation in a village in Malawi, we aimed to assess individuals' exposures to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) and carbon monoxide (CO) and to investigate the different sources of exposure, including different cooking methods. Methods: Adult residents of a village in Malawi wore personal PM 2.5 and CO monitors for 24-48 hours, sampling every 1 (CO) or 2 minutes (PM 2.5). Subsequent in-person interviews recorded potential exposure details over the time periods. We present means and interquartile ranges for overall exposures and summaries stratified by time and activity (exposure). We employed multivariate regression to further explore these characteristics, and Spearman rank correlation to examine the relationship between paired PM 2.5 and CO exposures. Results : Twenty participants (17 female; median age 40 years, IQR: 37-56) provided 831 hours of paired PM 2.5 and CO data. Concentrations of PM 2.5 during combustion activity, usually cooking, far exceeded background levels (no combustion activity): 97.9μg/m 3 (IQR: 22.9-482.0), vs 7.6μg/m 3, IQR: 2.5-20.6 respectively. Background PM 2.5 concentrations were higher during daytime hours (11.7μg/m 3 [IQR: 5.2-30.0] vs 3.3μg/m 3 at night [IQR: 0.7-8.2]). Highest exposures were influenced by cooking location but associated with charcoal use (for CO) and firewood on a three-stone fire (for PM 2.5). Cooking-related exposures were higher in more ventilated places, such as outside the household or on a walled veranda, than during indoor cooking. Conclusions : The study demonstrates the value of combining personal PM 2.5 exposure data with detailed contextual information for providing deeper insights into pollution sources and influences. The finding of similar/lower exposures during cooking in seemingly less-ventilated places should prompt a re-evaluation of proposed clean air interventions in these settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepeedeh Saleh
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Henry Sambakunsi
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Debora Makina
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Martha Chinouya
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
| | - Moses Kumwenda
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - James Chirombo
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
| | - Sean Semple
- University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA, UK
| | - Kevin Mortimer
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, LIVERPOOL, L3 5QA, UK
- Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, P.O. Box 30096, Malawi
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Teixeira da Silva JA. Handling Ethics Dumping and Neo-Colonial Research: From the Laboratory to the Academic Literature. JOURNAL OF BIOETHICAL INQUIRY 2022; 19:433-443. [PMID: 35731331 PMCID: PMC9215145 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-022-10191-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
This paper explores that the topic of ethics dumping (ED), its causes and potential remedies. In ED, the weaknesses or gaps in ethics policies and systems of lower income countries are intentionally exploited for intellectual or financial gains through research and publishing by higher income countries with a more stringent or complex ethical infrastructure in which such research and publishing practices would not be permitted. Several examples are provided. Possible ED needs to be evaluated before research takes place, and detected prior to publication as an academic paper, because it might lead to a collaborative effort between a wealthier country with restrictive ethical policies and a less wealthy country with more permissive policies. Consequently, if that collaboration ultimately results in an academic paper, there are ethical ramifications of ED to scholarly communication. Institutional review board approval is central to avoid ED-based collaborations. Blind trust and goodwill alone cannot eliminate the exploitation of indigenous or "vulnerable" populations' intellect and resources. Combining community-based participatory research using clear codes of research conduct and a simple but robust verification system in academic publishing may reduce the risks of ED-based research from being published.
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Chi PC, Owino EA, Jao I, Bejon P, Kapulu M, Marsh V, Kamuya D. Ethical considerations around volunteer payments in a malaria human infection study in Kenya: an embedded empirical ethics study. BMC Med Ethics 2022; 23:46. [PMID: 35443642 PMCID: PMC9019790 DOI: 10.1186/s12910-022-00783-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Human Infection Studies (HIS) have emerged as an important research approach with the potential to fast track the global development of vaccines and treatments for infectious diseases, including in low resource settings. Given the high level of burdens involved in many HIS, particularly prolonged residency and biological sampling requirements, it can be challenging to identify levels of study payments that provide adequate compensation but avoid 'undue' levels of inducement to participate. Through this embedded ethics study, involving 97 healthy volunteers and other research stakeholders in a malaria HIS programme in Kenya, and using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observations during and after a malaria HIS, we give a grounded account of ethical issues emerging in relation to study payments in this setting. While careful community, national, international scientific and ethics review processes meant that risks of serious harm were highly unlikely, the levels of motivation to join HIS seen could raise concerns about study payments being too high. Particular value was placed on the reliability, rather than level, of study payment in this setting, where subsistence livelihoods are common. Study volunteers were generally clear about the study aims at the point of recruitment, and this knowledge was retained over a year later, although most reported experiencing more burdens than anticipated at enrolment. Strict study screening procedures, regular clinical and laboratory monitoring of volunteers, with prompt treatment with antimalarial at predetermined endpoints suggested that the risks of serious harm were highly unlikely. Ethical concerns emerged in relation to volunteers' attempts to conceal symptoms, hoping to prolong residency periods and increase study payments; and volunteers making decisions that compromised important family relationships and personal values. Our findings support an interpretation that, although study volunteers were keen to join the study to access cash payments, they also paid attention to other features of the study and the general clinical research landscape, including levels of risk associated with study participation. Overall, our analysis shows that the ethical concerns emerging from the study payments can be addressed through practical measures, hinged on reducing burdens and strengthening communication, raising important issues for research policy and planning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Primus Che Chi
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya.
| | - Esther Awuor Owino
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Irene Jao
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Philip Bejon
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Melissa Kapulu
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Vicki Marsh
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Dorcas Kamuya
- Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Kilifi, Kenya
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, Centre for Tropical Medicine and Global Health, University Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Craig SL, Eaton AD, Brooks AS, McInroy LB, Lozano-Verduzco I, Austin A, Dentato MP, Mendoza Pérez JC, McDermott DT. Building bridges and breaking down silos: A framework for developing interdisciplinary, international academic-community research collaborations for the benefit of sexual and gender minority youth. PSYCHOLOGY & SEXUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2022.2043421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shelley L. Craig
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Andrew D. Eaton
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashley S. Brooks
- Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lauren B. McInroy
- College of Social Work, Ohio State University, Stillman Hall, 1947 College Rd, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ignacio Lozano-Verduzco
- Universidad Pedagógica Nacional, Carretera al Ajusco 24, Col, Heroes de Padierna, Ciudad de México, Tlalpan, MX
| | - Ashley Austin
- Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work, Barry University, 11300 NE 2nd Ave, Miami Shores, FL
| | - Michael P. Dentato
- School of Social Work, Loyola University Chicago, 820 North Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Daragh T. McDermott
- School of Psychology and Sport Science, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, UK
- School of Social Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Shakespeare St, Nottingham, UK
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Bedeker A, Nichols M, Allie T, Tamuhla T, van Heusden P, Olorunsogbon O, Tiffin N. A framework for the promotion of ethical benefit sharing in health research. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e008096. [PMID: 35144922 PMCID: PMC8845198 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-008096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an increasing recognition of the importance of including benefit sharing in research programmes in order to ensure equitable and just distribution of the benefits arising from research. Whilst there are global efforts to promote benefit sharing when using non-human biological resources, benefit sharing plans and implementation do not yet feature prominently in research programmes, funding applications or requirements by ethics review boards. Whilst many research stakeholders may agree with the concept of benefit sharing, it can be difficult to operationalise benefit sharing within research programmes. We present a framework designed to assist with identifying benefit sharing opportunities in research programmes. The framework has two dimensions: the first represents microlevel, mesolevel and macrolevel stakeholders as defined using a socioecological model; and the second identifies nine different types of benefit sharing that might be achieved during a research programme. We provide an example matrix identifying different types of benefit sharing that might be undertaken during genomics research, and present a case study evaluating benefit sharing in Africa during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. This framework, with examples, is intended as a practical tool to assist research stakeholders with identifying opportunities for benefit sharing, and inculcating intentional benefit sharing in their research programmes from inception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anja Bedeker
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Michelle Nichols
- College of Nursing, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA
| | - Taryn Allie
- Computational Biology Division, Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Tsaone Tamuhla
- Computational Biology Division, Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Peter van Heusden
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
| | - Olorunyomi Olorunsogbon
- Department of Health promotion and Education, Faculty of Public Health, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Nicki Tiffin
- South African Medical Research Council Bioinformatics Unit, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
- Computational Biology Division, Integrative Biomedical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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Ross-Hellauer T, Reichmann S, Cole NL, Fessl A, Klebel T, Pontika N. Dynamics of cumulative advantage and threats to equity in open science: a scoping review. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211032. [PMID: 35116143 PMCID: PMC8767192 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Open Science holds the promise to make scientific endeavours more inclusive, participatory, understandable, accessible and re-usable for large audiences. However, making processes open will not per se drive wide reuse or participation unless also accompanied by the capacity (in terms of knowledge, skills, financial resources, technological readiness and motivation) to do so. These capacities vary considerably across regions, institutions and demographics. Those advantaged by such factors will remain potentially privileged, putting Open Science's agenda of inclusivity at risk of propagating conditions of 'cumulative advantage'. With this paper, we systematically scope existing research addressing the question: 'What evidence and discourse exists in the literature about the ways in which dynamics and structures of inequality could persist or be exacerbated in the transition to Open Science, across disciplines, regions and demographics?' Aiming to synthesize findings, identify gaps in the literature and inform future research and policy, our results identify threats to equity associated with all aspects of Open Science, including Open Access, Open and FAIR Data, Open Methods, Open Evaluation, Citizen Science, as well as its interfaces with society, industry and policy. Key threats include: stratifications of publishing due to the exclusionary nature of the author-pays model of Open Access; potential widening of the digital divide due to the infrastructure-dependent, highly situated nature of open data practices; risks of diminishing qualitative methodologies as 'reproducibility' becomes synonymous with quality; new risks of bias and exclusion in means of transparent evaluation; and crucial asymmetries in the Open Science relationships with industry and the public, which privileges the former and fails to fully include the latter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tony Ross-Hellauer
- Know-Center GmbH, Graz, Austria
- Open and Reproducible Research Group, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Stefan Reichmann
- Open and Reproducible Research Group, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Nicki Lisa Cole
- Know-Center GmbH, Graz, Austria
- Open and Reproducible Research Group, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Angela Fessl
- Know-Center GmbH, Graz, Austria
- Open and Reproducible Research Group, Graz University of Technology, Inffeldgasse 13, 8010 Graz, Austria
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11
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Saleh S, Sambakunsi H, Mortimer K, Morton B, Kumwenda M, Rylance J, Chinouya M. Exploring smoke: an ethnographic study of air pollution in rural Malawi. BMJ Glob Health 2021; 6:bmjgh-2021-004970. [PMID: 34193474 PMCID: PMC8246283 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2021-004970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution adversely affects human health, and the climate crisis intensifies the global imperative for action. Low-/middle-income countries (LMIC) suffer particularly high attributable disease burdens. In rural low-resource settings, these are linked to cooking using biomass. Proposed biomedical solutions to air pollution typically involve ‘improved cooking technologies’, often introduced by high-income country research teams. This ethnography, set in a rural Malawian village, aimed to understand air pollution within its social and environmental context. The results provide a multifaceted account through immersive participant observations with concurrent air quality monitoring, interviews and participatory workshops. Data included quantitative measures of individuals’ air pollution exposures paired with activity, qualitative insights into how smoke is experienced in daily life throughout the village, and participants’ reflections on potential cleaner air solutions. Individual air quality monitoring demonstrated that particulate levels frequently exceeded upper limits recommended by the WHO, even in the absence of identified sources of biomass burning. Ethnographic findings revealed the overwhelming impact of economic scarcity on individual air pollution exposures. Scarcity affected air pollution exposures through three pathways: daily hardship, limitation and precarity. We use the theory of structural violence, as described by Paul Farmer, and the concept of slow violence to interrogate the origins of this scarcity and global inequality. We draw on the ethnographic findings to critically consider sustainable approaches to cleaner air, without re-enacting existing systemic inequities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepeedeh Saleh
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK .,Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Henry Sambakunsi
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | | | - Ben Morton
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.,Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Moses Kumwenda
- Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, Blantyre, Malawi
| | - Jamie Rylance
- Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK
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12
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Lawrence DS, Gyapong M. Spotlight on global health research. Int Health 2020; 12:507-508. [PMID: 33165555 PMCID: PMC7651010 DOI: 10.1093/inthealth/ihaa082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- David S Lawrence
- Department of Clinical Research, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.,Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Gaborone, Botswana
| | - Margaret Gyapong
- Institute of Health Research, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Ho, Ghana
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