Browsing by Author "Kazungu Kombe, Francis"

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    Implications of fieldworkers’ institutional support systems for research integrity practices in Africa
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2021-03-04) Kazungu Kombe, Francis
    Fieldworkers play a critical role in health research practices in most international health research centres in Africa. Fieldworkers are usually employed to provide support in seeking informed consent, collecting qualitative and quantitative data, biological samples and maintaining good relationships with communities involved in research (Kombe, 2015; Mosavel, Ahmed, Daniels, & Simon, 2011). Furthermore, the integrity of research and the ethical and scientific outputs generated by most international health research sites in Africa rely heavily on fieldworkers, whose practices and ability to adhere to international and local ethical and scientific standards and guidelines determine the quality of data collected (Kombe, 2015). Recent literature has highlighted concerns related to the quality of data collected by fieldworkers, attributable to a lack of or limited support given to fieldworkers by their principal investigators (PIs) or study coordinators (Kingori & Gerrets, 2016a). While some empirical studies have been conducted to explore and describe the day-to-day ethical challenges faced by health research fieldworkers (Kamuya et al., 2013a; Kingori, 2013; Rossman & Rallis, 2010), very little has been done to understand fieldworkers' institutional support systems and how they influence the overall integrity of research. Understanding the influence of fieldworkers’ institutional support systems on research integrity may provide important insights in developing best practice guidelines for supporting fieldworkers in Blantyre District in MalawiAfrica. Type of study This is a qualitative mixed-methods study that intends to use a case-study approach together with qualitative approaches, including in-depth interview, non-participant observations and consultative discussion to develop an in-depth understanding of the implications of fieldworkers' institutional support systems for research integrity. Problem statement The literature underlines the importance of fieldworkers in international health research. The roles fieldworkers play, and the diverse challenges and dilemmas they face have been well documented. However, much less has been done to better understand the implications of fieldworkers’ institutional support systems and how these influence the overall integrity of research. General objectives This study aims to examine the implications of fieldworkers’ institutional support systems for research integrity practices in Blantyre District in MalawiAfrica Study objectives Specific objectives  To describe and analyse the existing literature, including concepts and theories related to fieldworkers’ institutional support systems and policies  To identify and describe existing fieldworkers’ institutional support systems at the participating research institutionsTo critically evaluate how existing fieldworkers’ institutional support systems and policies shape fieldworkers ethical and research integrity practices  To develop a best practice model and make recommendations to the participating institutions on fieldworkers’ institutional support systems Methodology This study intends to use a qualitative mixed-methods approach to develop a broad and indepth understanding of the implications of fieldworkers' institutional support systems for research integrity. The proposed approach will involve five main methodological approaches, including literature and document review, key informant interviews, Individual In-Depth Interviews (IDIs), Non-Participant Observations (NPO), and consultative discussions with key stakeholders. Expected findings Data will be analysed thematically. Findings from this study will include the status of the existing policies and guidelines related to fieldworkers (if any) from the participating institutions, the views of senior management, middle-level field managers and fieldworkers, including centre directors, principal investigators, field managers, supervisors and fieldworkers, on how existing policies and guidelines influence the fieldworkers scientific contribute to understanding how existing health research systems and policies, and research management practices may shape fieldworkers' everyday scientific and ethical practices and the integrity of the research. Such understanding may provide important insights in developing best practice guidelines for supporting fieldworkers in Africa. Dissemination of findings Preliminary analysis of the data will be done continuously and used to inform key themes for further exploration, especiallyduring the last phase (phase three) of the study. During the consultative discussions (phase three) the preliminary findings will be presented to those who will participate in the consultative discussions for further synthesis. At the end of the study, the study results will be presented summary form, to the management of each participating institution. In addition, each participating institution, and the college of medicine research ethics committee (COMREC) will be given a copy of the study findings. Results of this study will also be published in the PhD thesis which will be submitted to the University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa, the Malawi Liverpool-Wellcome (MLW) research programme in Malawi and in peer review journals and scientific conferences.