World Cafés as a participatory approach to understanding research agendas in primary care with underserved communities: reflections, challenges and lessons learned.

BACKGROUND: Certain communities are underserved by research, resulting in lower inclusion rates, under researched health issues and a lack of attention to how different communities respond to health interventions. Minoritised ethnic groups are often underserved by research and services. They experience health inequalities and face significant barriers to accessing health services. It is recognised that new approaches are needed to reach underserved communities and make research more relevant. The purpose of this work was to utilise World Cafés, a participatory method, to explore research agendas with diverse communities. METHODS: Two World Cafés were conducted as research agenda setting activities with individuals from minoritised ethnic communities in Bristol, UK. World Café 1 explored Black and Asian women's perspectives about supporting mental health. World Café 2 with men from the Somali community, focused on prostate cancer. Community members co-developed the focus and questions of each World Café and were also instrumental in recruiting individuals to the sessions and facilitating discussions, including translation. Audio and written records were made of the discussions and from these key issues about each topic were identified, and a visual representation of the discussion was also generated. These were shared with participants to check for accuracy. RESULTS: Community members identified a range of issues that are important to them in relation to mental health and prostate cancer, including barriers to help seeking and accessing primary and secondary care, ideas for service improvements and a need for health information that is accessible and culturally relevant. CONCLUSIONS: World Cafés are a flexible method that can be successfully adapted for research agenda setting with individuals from minoritised ethnic communities. The role of community members in co-developing the focus of sessions, recruiting community members and co-facilitating sessions is crucial to this success. The discussions at both World Cafés provided a rich insight into the experiences of participants in relation to the topics mental health and prostate cancer and identified issues that are important to these communities that will be followed-up with communities, researchers and clinicians to co-develop research and service improvement strategies.

People from minoritised ethnic groupsgroups can have difficulty getting health care. They may also be left out of health research. There is a need to include a more diverse group of people in health research. World Cafés are an accessible way to listen to people by getting them to talk to each other about different questions and topics.We did this work to see if World Cafés are a helpful way to talk to people from minoritised ethnic groups about health. We wanted to learn what things are important to people around mental health and prostate cancer. We also wanted to see if designing and running the World Café with people from the same communities as people taking part in the World Cafés is a good way to do this. We worked together with people from racial and ethnic minorities to: Choose questions and topics, Ask people to take part Get people talking and write down what was said We learned that planning and running World Cafés with people from the same communities as the people taking part was very helpful. The people taking part in the World Cafés said that it can be difficult to get help and information about their health. They gave lots of reasons for this. They also had ideas to improve healthcare.Now that we have this information, we will work with the people who took part in and helped run the World Cafés, along with, doctors and researchers to take their ideas for improvements forwards.

Research agendas and organizational commitment among academics in mainland China.

This research pioneered the investigation of the statistically predictive power of academics' research agendas for their organizational commitment-beyond age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline. Three hundred and thirty-two academics from nine research-oriented comprehensive universities in Zhejiang province and Shanghai, mainland China, responded to the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory-12 Items (MDRAI-12) and the Organizational Commitment Inventory. Three main findings were obtained. First, the MDRAI-12 was confirmed to be a valid and reliable instrument for assessing the research agendas of academics in mainland China. Second, both academics' research agendas and their organizational commitment varied as a function of demographics. Third and most importantly, when age, gender, academic rank, and academic discipline were put under control, three of the four trailblazing research agendas (scientific ambition, collaboration, and discovery) predicted the three adaptive organizational commitments (affective, normative, and ideal), whereas the two cohesive research agendas (convergence and conservative) chiefly contributed to the two maladaptive organizational commitments (economic and choice). These findings have shed new light on the literature concerning research agendas and that on organizational commitment. At the same time, the findings have practical implications for university academics and senior managers in their respective efforts to promote innovative research and adaptive organizational commitment among academics.

The relationship between academics' strategic research agendas and their preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development.

In this study, we assess the association between academics' research agendas and their preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development. Using a sample of Mexican academics working in some of the country's most research-oriented universities, we identify three clusters. The largest is composed of applied research-oriented academics, the second largest is composed of basic research-oriented academics, and the smallest is composed of academics who engage in both basic and applied research, and experimental development. The strategic research agendas of the three clusters are distinguished from each other along four main dimensions: Divergence, Discovery, Mentor Influence, and Social Orientation. These findings show that strategic research agendas are associated with preferences for basic research, applied research, or experimental development, but only to some extent. We also extend the Multi-Dimensional Research Agendas Inventory - Revised, a widely used instrument for measuring strategic research agendas, by adding a new dimension, "Government," and validating the instrument in a new context. We also make the scale available in Spanish for use by academics, practitioners, managers, and administrators in Spanish-speaking countries.

The role of NGOs' service delivery experience in developing relevant research agendas: experience and challenges among NGOs in Malawi.

BACKGROUND: There has been growing interest in the contribution of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to international health research. One strength that NGOs may bring to research involves the potential value of service delivery experience for indicating relevant research questions, namely through their involvement in service delivery, NGO staff may be aware of frontline knowledge gaps, allowing these staff to identify questions that lead to research with immediate relevance. However, there is little empirical evidence on research agendas within NGOs to assess whether their service delivery experience does lead to relevant research or conditions that affect this. This article examines the identification and selection of research questions within NGOs to explore the role of their service delivery experience in generating relevant research agendas. METHODS: The article reports comparative case study research on four NGOs in Malawi, including two international and two Malawian organisations. Each NGO conducts research and undertakes service delivery and advocacy. Data collection included interviews, focus groups, observation and document review. Analysis involved thematic coding and use of diagrams. RESULTS: The case NGOs' experiences suggest that using service delivery to identify research questions does not always match NGOs' aims or capacities, and does not guarantee relevance. First, NGOs do not want to rely only on service delivery when developing research agendas; they consider other criteria and additional sources of ideas when selecting questions they see as relevant. Second, service delivery staff are not always well-placed to identify research topics; indeed, involvement in hectic, target-driven service delivery can hinder input to research agendas. Third, NGOs' ability to pursue questions inspired by service delivery depends on control over their research agendas; relationships with external actors and financial autonomy affect NGOs' capacity to undertake the research they see as relevant. Finally, the perceived relevance of research findings varies between audiences and depends on more than the research question. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest limits to the value and feasibility of a research agenda based on service delivery experience. Based on the analysis, the conclusion outlines strategies to support an effective role for NGOs' service delivery experience in development of research agendas.

The development of a national nutrition and mental health research agenda with comparison of priorities among diverse stakeholders.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a national nutrition and mental health research agenda based on the engagement of diverse stakeholders and to assess research priorities by stakeholder groups. DESIGN: A staged, integrated and participatory initiative was implemented to structure a national nutrition and mental health research agenda that included: (i) national stakeholder consultations to prioritize research questions; (ii) a workshop involving national representatives from research, policy and practice to further define priorities; (iii) triangulation of data to formulate the agenda; and (iv) test hypotheses about stakeholder influences on decision making. SETTING: Canada. SUBJECTS: Diverse stakeholders including researchers, academics, administrators, service providers, policy makers, practitioners, non-profit, industry and funding agency representatives, front-line workers, individuals with lived experience of a mental health condition and those who provide care for them. RESULTS: This first-of-its-kind research priority-setting initiative showed points of agreement among diverse stakeholders (n 899) on research priorities aimed at service provision; however, respondents with lived experience of a mental health condition (themselves or a family member) placed emphasis on prevention and mental health promotion-based research. The final integrated agenda identified four research priorities, including programmes and services, service provider roles, the determinants of health and knowledge translation and exchange. These research priorities aim to identify effective models of care, enhance collaboration, inform policy makers and foster knowledge dissemination. CONCLUSIONS: Since a predictor of research uptake is the involvement of relevant stakeholders, a sustained and deliberate effort must continue to engage collaboration that will lead to the optimization of nutrition and mental health-related outcomes.

Investments in tuberculosis research - what are the gaps?

Through decades of research, numerous studies have generated robust evidence about effective interventions for tuberculosis control. Yet, the global annual decline in incidence of approximately 1 % is evidence that current approaches and investment strategies are not sufficient. In this article, we assess recent tuberculosis research funding and discuss two critical gaps in funding and in scientific evidence from topics that have been left off the research priority agenda.We first examine research and development funding goals in the 2011-2015 Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis and analyze disbursements to different research areas by funders worldwide in 2014. We then summarize, through a compilation of published literature and consultation with 35 researchers across multiple disciplines in the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine TB Centre, priorities identified by the tuberculosis research community. Finally, we compare researchers' priority areas to the global funding agendas and activities.Our analysis shows that, among the five key research areas defined in the 2011-2015 Global Plan - namely drugs, basic science, vaccines, diagnostics and operational research - drug discovery and basic science on Mycobacterium tuberculosis accounted for 60 % of the $2 billion annual funding target. None of the research areas received the recommended level of funding. Operational research, which had the lowest target, received 66 % of its target funding, whereas new diagnostics received only 19 %. Although many of the priority research questions identified by researchers fell within the Global Plan categories, our analysis highlights important areas that are not explicitly mentioned in the current plan. These priority research areas included improved understanding of tuberculosis transmission dynamics, the role of social protection and social determinants, and health systems and policy research.While research priorities are increasingly important in light of the limited funding for tuberculosis, there is a risk that we neglect important research areas and encourage the formation of research silos. To ensure that funding priorities, researchers' agendas and national tuberculosis control policies are better coordinated, there should be more, and wider, dialogue between stakeholders in high tuberculosis burden countries, researchers, international policymakers and funders.

Análisis bibliométrico de la producción científica sobre las agendas nacionales de investigación en el Perú 2011-2014 / Bibliometric analysis of scientific production on research national agenda in Peru 2011-2014

Objetivo. Analizar la producción científica enmarcada en las Agendas Nacionales de Investigación de Perú, periodo 2011-2014. Diseño. Estudio bibliométrico en las bases de datos SCOPUS, LILACS y LIPECS. Lugar. Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú. Unidad de análisis. Artículo original que tenía al menos un investigador con filiación a una institución peruana o cuya población de estudio o parte de ella procedía de Perú y enmarcados en algún tema de las Agendas Nacionales de Investigación. Principales medidas de resultados. Indicadores bibliométricos de producción. Resultados. De las 882 publicaciones recuperadas, 215 (24,4%) ingresaron al análisis. Las Agendas Nacionales de Investigación con mayor producción científica fueron sobre tuberculosis e ITS­ VIH/sida con 78 y 59 artículos. El idioma más frecuente de publicación fue el inglés (69,8%). Los artículos fueron publicados en 90 revistas científicas. Las instituciones peruanas con mayor cantidad de firmas en artículos originales fueron la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (49,3%), seguido por el Ministerio de Salud (19,5%) e Instituto Nacional de Salud (14,4%). Los Institutos Nacionales de Salud de los Estados Unidos participaron en el financiamiento del 50,7% de los artículos analizados. Las instituciones peruanas que más investigaciones han financiado fueron el Instituto Nacional de Salud (4,2%) y el MINSA (2,8%). Conclusiones. La producción científica peruana enmarcada en las seis Agendas Nacionales de Investigación del periodo 2011-2014 es limitada, a predominio de la investigación en tuberculosis y ITS-VIH/sida, y estuvo financiada principalmente por instituciones internacionales.

Objectives. To analyze the scientific production framed in the National Research Agenda 2011-2014. Design. Bibliometric research using SCOPUS, LILACS and LIPECS databases. Setting National Health Institute, Lima, Peru. Unit of analysis. Original article with at least one researcher with a Peruvian institution affiliation or whose study population or part of it, ca me from Peru and framed on any issue of national research agendas. Main outcome measures. Bibliometric indicators of production. Results. Out of the 882 publications retrieved, 215 (24.4%) were admitted to the analysis. The national research agendas with more scientific production were tuberculosis and STO-HIV/AIDS that included 78 and 59 articles respectively. The most common language of publication was English (69.8%). The articles were published in 90 scientific journals. Peruvian institutions with the highest number of signatures were the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (49.3%), followed by the Ministry of Health (19.5%) and the Nationallnstitute of Health (14.4%). The National Institutes of Health (USA) participated in the financing of 50.7% of the articles analyzed. Peruvian institutions that funded more research were the Nationallnstitute of Health (4.2%) and the Ministry of Health (2.8%). Conclusions. Peruvian scientific production framed in the six national research agendas in the period 2011-2014 is limited and focused on tuberculosis and STI-HIV I AIDS research; funding was primarily by international institutions.

Perspectives on ageing, later life and ethnicity: ageing research in ethnic minority contexts.

This special issue focuses broadly upon questions and themes relating to the current conceptualisations, representations and use of 'ethnicity' (and ethnic minority experiences) within the field of social gerontology. An important aim of this special issue is to explore and address the issue of 'otherness' within the predominant existing frameworks for researching those who are ageing or considered aged, compounded by the particular constructions of their ethnicity and ethnic 'difference'. The range of theoretical, methodological and empirical papers included in this collection provide some critical insights into particular facets of the current research agendas, cultural understandings and empirical focus of ethnic minority ageing research. The main emphasis is on highlighting the ways in which ethnic cultural homogeneity and 'otherness' is often assumed in research involving older people from ethnic minority backgrounds, and how wider societal inequalities are concomitantly (re)produced, within (and through) research itself - for example, based on narrowly defined research agendas and questions; the assumed age and/or ethnic differences of researchers vis-à-vis their older research participants; the workings of the formalised ethical procedures and frameworks; and the conceptual and theoretical frameworks employed in the formulation of research questions and interpretation of data. We examine and challenge here the simplistic categorisations and distinctions often made in gerontological research based around research participants' ethnicity, age and ageing and assumed cultural differences. The papers presented in this collection reveal instead the actual complexity and fluidity of these concepts as well as the cultural dynamism and diversity of experiences within ethnic groups. Through an exploration of these issues, we address some of the gaps in existing knowledge and understandings as well as contribute to the newly emerging discussions surrounding the use of particular notions of ethnicity and ethnic minority ageing as these are being employed within the field of ageing studies.

Undone Science: Charting Social Movement and Civil Society Challenges to Research Agenda Setting.

"Undone science" refers to areas of research that are left unfunded, incomplete, or generally ignored but that social movements or civil society organizations often identify as worthy of more research. This study mobilizes four recent studies to further elaborate the concept of undone science as it relates to the political construction of research agendas. Using these cases, we develop the argument that undone science is part of a broader politics of knowledge, wherein multiple and competing groups struggle over the construction and implementation of alternative research agendas. Overall, the study demonstrates the analytic potential of the concept of undone science to deepen understanding of the systematic nonproduction of knowledge in the institutional matrix of state, industry, and social movements that is characteristic of recent calls for a "new political sociology of science."