Inclusive Collaboration Research Articles

Digital Agriculture Innovations in Bangladesh: A Situational Analysis and Pathways for Future Development

ABSTRACTExisting literature indicates the untapped potential of digital agriculture technologies and interventions to revolutionize agricultural development. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive review of the present digital agriculture ecosystem and, therefore, a limited understanding. This study seeks to address that evidence gap by reviewing what has been researched about the current digital agriculture solutions in Bangladesh. The research undertakes a systematic literature review of the use of digital agriculture applications by smallholder farmers and other actors across the agriculture value chain to explore the digitalization and smart farming applications. The manuscript sheds light on opportunities for fostering digital innovations by discussing the accomplished agri‐tech initiatives and challenges associated with those agriculture 4.0 technologies. The findings reveal considerable replications of digital agriculture services by various public, private, and technology companies, underscoring the necessity for more inclusive collaborations among the supply‐side actors for shaping the digital agriculture infrastructure. The article suggests future areas for research probing the impact of available digital agriculture practices and to what extent those are effective in facilitating the agri‐food systems stakeholders.

Research culture influences in health and biomedical research: Rapid scoping review and content analysis

Research culture is strongly influenced by academic incentives such as the pressure to publish in academic journals, and can influence the nature and quality of the evidence we produce. The purpose of this rapid scoping review is to capture the breadth of differential pressures and contributors to current research culture, drawing together content from empirical research specific to the health and biomedical sciences. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for empirical studies of influences and impacts on health and biomedical research culture, published between January 2012 to April 2024. Data charting extracted the key findings and relationships in research culture from included papers such as: workforce composition; equitable access to research; academic journal trends, incentives, reproducibility; erroneous research; questionable research practices; biases vested interests and misconduct. A diverse author network was consulted to ensure content validity of the proposed framework of i) inclusivity, ii) transparency, iii) rigour and iv) objectivity. A growing field of studies examining research culture exists ranging from the inclusivity of the scientific workforce, the transparency of the data generated, the rigour of the methods used and the objectivity of the researchers involved. Figurative diagrams are presented to storyboard the links between research culture content and findings. The wide range of research culture influences in the recent literature indicates the need for coordinated and sustained research culture conversations. Core principles in effective research environments should include inclusive collaboration and diverse research workforces, rigorous methodological approaches, transparency, data sharing and reflection on scientific objectivity.

Building Inclusive Collaboration: The Impact of Sourcing Channel and Gender on Employee Performance Through Right Placement

This research analyzes how Recruitment Channel and Gender affect Employee Performance with Placement as an intervening variable. This study used a quantitative method design with 34 saturated samples taken from PT. SJI Surabaya, Indonesia. The data collection in this study was primary data, and the instrument used was a self-administered questionnaire addressed to 34 respondents of PT SJI Surabaya, Indonesia, consisting of 4 variables, namely recruitment channel, gender, placement, and employee performance. Data analyses used SEM SmartPLS-3. The results indicate that gender is not a direct determinant of employees' performance, but it affects placement considerably. Placement influences performance significantly and thus might be an intervening variable in the performance-gender relationship. Recruitment channels do not significantly influence either employee performance or placement. Strong points of this study include the application of Organizational Psychology theory to understand the relation of variables, thus giving a sound conceptual framework in the context of the Indonesian Industry. This is a study that will try to provide insight for companies in managing gender diversity and the recruitment process. Results from the present study have highlighted placement into jobs, which should take into consideration the individual characteristics and demands of a particular job and vice versa, while implementing diversity and inclusion management will create a favorable working environment that actually enhances employee performance.

Towards inclusive collaboration in volcanology: guidelines for best-engagement protocols in international collaboration

The International Network for Volcanology Collaboration (INVOLC) is a network formalised by the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI) with the specific ambition to enhance volcanology globally through improved international collaboration. IAVCEI-INVOLC was created with a focus on volcano scientists working in resource-constrained contexts, including those based in low- or middle-income countries. After a community-wide online survey and inaugural workshop during which INVOLC’s ambitions were discussed, a series of challenges, as commonly experienced by those working in resource-constrained settings, were identified. These challenges may present barriers to participation in volcano science in an international context and are related to both organisational resources (financial, human, technical) and inclusion in research collaborations. In this perspectives paper, we present a series of 15 guidelines for best-engagement protocols in international collaboration in volcanology that may be adopted during times of quiescence, volcanic unrest and/or an eruption and its aftermath. Our aspiration is that these guidelines will help build more respectful, equitable and sustainable partnerships that will ultimately advance the science of volcanology.

PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS FOR SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT: LESSONS FROM INDONESIAN CITIES

Public-private partnerships (PPPs) have become an important strategy in sustainable urban development in Indonesia, especially amidst limited local government resources and challenges posed by rapid urbanization. While the private sector has great potential to provide financing and innovation, the success of PPPs depends largely on effective coordination between the public and private sectors. The dynamics of this relationship often face complex challenges, including equitable management of risks and benefits. This study aims to explore the factors that influence the success of PPPs in the context of sustainable urban development in Indonesia. This study uses a qualitative approach, with data obtained from various relevant previous studies and research. The collected data are systematically processed to find new patterns and insights related to PPPs. The results of this study indicate that strengthening the institutional capacity of local governments and increasing transparency and accountability are key to the success of PPPs. Private sector involvement not only provides financial resources but also brings significant innovation and efficiency. Inclusive collaboration, involving local communities and stakeholders, has proven to be essential to ensure the relevance and sustainability of PPP projects. In addition, supportive and adaptive policies to local conditions are needed to create a conducive environment for these partnerships. With the adoption of a comprehensive strategy, PPP can be an effective tool to achieve sustainable urban development goals in Indonesia.

Shallow strategic thinking: findings from a multinational problem-based learning pilot study

PurposeResearchers piloted a problem-based learning (PBL) activity in a master’s degree-granting strategic studies program to explore how students apply knowledge and skills learned from the curriculum to their formulation of a strategy addressing a real-world global security scenario.Design/methodology/approachThis mixed-methods pilot study used ethnographic observation, participant feedback, document analysis and surveys to assess the learning and engagement of multinational postgraduate students in the context of a PBL environment.FindingsFindings revealed gaps in students’ causal logic and literacy, as well as student discomfort with ambiguity and reliance upon heuristic frameworks over willingness to conduct substantive, current and relevant research. Additionally, observed group dynamics represented a lack of inclusive collaboration in mixed gender and multinational teams. These findings suggest foundational issues with the curriculum, teaching methodologies and evaluation practices of the studied institution.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need to include explicit instruction in problem-solving and causal literacy (i.e. logical reasoning) in postgraduate programs for national and global security professionals, as well as authentic opportunities for those students to practice interpersonal communication.

Fostering Inclusive Collaboration: Strategies to Disrupt Inequities in Student Groupwork

Fostering Inclusive Collaboration: Strategies to Disrupt Inequities in Student Groupwork

Computational pathology: an evolving concept.

The initial enthusiasm about computational pathology (CP) and artificial intelligence (AI) was that they will replace pathologists entirely on the way to fully automated diagnostics. It is becoming clear that currently this is not the immediate model to pursue. On top of the legal and regulatory complexities surrounding its implementation, the majority of tested machine learning (ML)-based predictive algorithms do not display the exquisite performance needed to render them unequivocal, standalone decision makers for matters with direct implications to human health. We are thus moving into a different model of "computer-assisted diagnostics", where AI is there to provide support, rather than replacing, the pathologist. Herein we focus on the practical aspects of CP, from a pathologist perspective. There is a wide range of potential applications where CP can enhance precision of pathology diagnosis, tailor prognostic and predictive information, as well as save time. There are, however, a number of potential limitations for CP that currently hinder their wider adoption in the clinical setting. We address the key necessary steps towards clinical implementation of computational pathology, discuss the significant obstacles that hinders its adoption in the clinical context and summarize some proposed solutions. We conclude that the advancement of CP in the clinic is a promising resource-intensive endeavour that requires broad and inclusive collaborations between academia, industry, and regulatory bodies.

Applying the lessons of design thinking: a unique programme of care for acutely unwell, community-dwelling COVID-19 patients

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic limited access to primary care and in-person assessments requiring healthcare providers to re-envision care delivery for acutely unwell outpatients. Design thinking methodology has the potential to support...

Social Enterprises Impact Assessment: Exploring Alternative Measuring Frameworks

Improved assessments can help to increase the awareness of the successes or failures of the contribution made by social enterprises and events. The challenge is that there is no common standard for social impact assessment. This article aims to contribute to this contemporary discussion on impact measurement of social enterprises and events, proposing a measuring framework. The framework offers utility for inclusive stakeholder collaboration and the incorporation of diverse developmental theories. It highlights the systematic link between contextual insight on states of disequilibrium, opportunities, and developmental ideas. As a diagnostic tool, the socioeconomic impact framework offers utility to stakeholders as it coordinates and guides the processes to identify and communicate a contextual theory of change. It promotes inclusive collaboration reflective processes, offering guidance to stakeholders as they explore insight into the contextual disequilibrium and the opportunity tension it creates, aligned with a theory of change that offers progressive developmental impact.

Strategies for mainstreaming nature-based solutions in urban governance capacities in ten European cities

This paper explores the institutional mainstreaming of nature-based solutions (NBS) to advance a process-based understanding about how to strategically develop the governance capacities needed for systemic, localised and inclusive NBS. To this end, it reports how policy officers in ten European cities have started to mainstream NBS by interacting with and changing incumbent governance arrangements when experimenting with novel governance processes and mechanisms to plan, deliver and steward NBS. Based on these activities of the policy officers, the analysis identifies three strategies, associated stepping stones and changes in governance conditions, to mainstream NBS in governance capacities: institutionalising (a) a systems’ approach to link NBS to policies, regulations, and departments across goals and sectors, (b) inclusive collaborations for localised and inclusive interventions, and (c) reflexivity and learning about how NBS interact with the (institutional, ecological, social, etc.) contexts and create impacts. The strategies illustrate institutional entrepreneurship in interacting with incumbent governance contexts, and how starting from NBS as a type of systemic innovation can promote broader shifts in urban governance arrangements.

Using virtual design sprints to promote inclusive collaboration in composition programs

Writing researchers, teachers, and writing program administrators face significant challenges in promoting inclusive collaboration that brings together diverse perspectives without overburdening vulnerable stakeholders. This article reports on a case study in which a virtual design sprint was used to facilitate inclusive collaboration for a human-centered design project focused on redesigning a graduate teaching assistant mentoring program. The virtual design sprint was conducted over one week by a transdisciplinary team, including writing program administrators and graduate teaching assistant mentors and mentees. By providing a highly structured approach to intensive collaboration, the virtual design sprint enabled efficient integration of diverse perspectives while minimizing demands on participants. Furthermore, it helped the design team produce promising solutions aligned with their experiences and needs. Findings suggest virtual design sprints offer an effective method for inclusive collaboration that can be adapted to promote inclusivity through a wide range of writing program, writing instruction, and writing research activities. The structured collaborative process allows teams to rapidly develop empathy, ideate, prototype, and test solutions using human-centered design methods and develop solutions that are beneficial for diverse program stakeholders.

Stakeholder-based modelling in climate change planning for the agriculture sector in Argentina

ABSTRACT The development of long-term scenarios to outline pathways for achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 has become a standard practice in climate change policy planning. In Argentina, a modelling process was initiated in 2019 in the agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector utilizing three tools: FABLE calculator, Dinamica EGO and Nature Map. In order to generate technical inputs for the modelling exercise a stakeholder dialogue was launched. A 2050 Carbon Neutrality scenario was developed, alongside several intermediate scenarios based on stakeholders´ visions of the future. The modelling results demonstrated the biophysical feasibility of achieving carbon neutrality in the Argentinean AFOLU sector by 2050. However, alignment with current sectoral priorities was identified as a challenge, leading stakeholders to propose less ambitious scenarios as more attainable targets. This experience underscored the significance of constructing multiple policy scenarios, facilitating the evaluation of diverse potential future trajectories for policymaking. These different pathways provided contrasting perspectives between political objectives, such as achieving carbon neutrality, and the practical feasibility of local implementation. Moreover, the process highlighted the vital role of integrating the private sector and environmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in long-term climate planning, emphasizing the need for inclusive collaboration to address climate challenges effectively.

Co-design of a digital app "WhatMatters" to support person-centred care: A critical reflection.

People with dementia often do not receive optimal person-centred care (PCC) in care settings. Family members can play a vital role as care partners to support the person with dementia with their psychosocial needs. Participatory research that includes the perspectives of those with lived experience is essential for developing high-quality dementia care and practices. Throughout 2021-2022, a mobile app, called WhatMatters, was co-developed to provide easy-to-access and personalised support for people with dementia in hospitals and long-term care homes, with input from patients/residents, family partners and healthcare staff. This article discusses and critically reflects on the experiences of patients/residents, family partners, and healthcare staff involved in the co-design process. For the app development, we applied a participatory co-design approach, guided by a User Experience (UX) model. The process involved co-design workshops and user testing sessions with users (patients/residents, family partners, healthcare staff) to co-develop the WhatMatters prototype. We also conducted focus groups and one on one interviews with staff and caregiver participants to explore their experiences. Our research team, which also included patient partners, took part in regular team meetings during the app's development, where we discussed and reflected on the co-design process. Reflexive thematic analysis was performed to identify themes that represent the challenges and rewarding experiences of the users involved in the co-design process, which guided our overall reflective process. Our reflective analysis identified five themes (1) clarifying the co-design process, (2) ensuring inclusive collaborations of various users, and (3) supporting expression of emotion in a virtual environment, (4) feeling a sense of achievement and (5) feeling valued. WhatMatters offers potential for providing personally relevant and engaging resources in dementia care. Including the voices of relevant users is crucial to ensure meaningful benefits for patients/residents. We offer insights and lessons learned about the co-design process, and explore the challenges of involving people with lived experiences of dementia in co-design work, particularly during the pandemic.

Inclusion unlocks the creative potential of gender diversity in teams

Several studies have highlighted the potential contribution of gender diversity to creativity, also noted challenges stemming from conflicts and a deficit of trust. Thus, we argue that gender diversity requires inclusion as well to see increased collective creativity. We analyzed teams in 4011 video game projects, recording weighted network data from past collaborations. We developed four measures of inclusion, based on de-segregation, strong ties across genders, and the incorporation of women into the core of the team’s network. We measured creativity by the distinctiveness of game features compared to prior games. Our results show that gender diversity without inclusion does not contribute to creativity, while at maximal inclusion one standard deviation change in diversity results in .04–.09 standard deviation increase in creativity. On the flipside, at maximal inclusion but low diversity (when there is a ‘token’ female team member highly integrated in a male network) we see a negative impact on creativity. Considering the history of game projects in a developer firm, we see that adding diversity first, and developing inclusion later can lead to higher diversity and inclusion, compared to the alternative of recruiting developers with already existing cross-gender ties. This suggests that developer firms should encourage building inclusive collaboration ties in-house.

Considerations for patient and public involvement and engagement in health research.

Patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) can provide valuable insights into the experiences of those living with and affected by a disease or health condition. Inclusive collaboration between patients, the public and researchers can lead to productive relationships, ensuring that health research addresses patient needs. Guidelines are available to support effective PPIE; however, evaluation of the impact of PPIE strategies in health research is limited. In this Review, we evaluate the impact of PPIE in the 'Therapies for Long COVID in non-hospitalised individuals' (TLC) Study, using a combination of group discussions and interviews with patient partners and researchers. We identify areas of good practice and reflect on areas for improvement. Using these insights and the results of a survey, we synthesize two checklists of considerations for PPIE, and we propose that research teams use these checklists to optimize the impact of PPIE for both patients and researchers in future studies.

Inclusive collaboration across plant physiology and genomics: Now is the time!

Within the broad field of plant sciences, what are the most pressing challenges and opportunities to advance? Answers to this question usually include food and nutritional security, climate change mitigation, adaptation of plants to changing climates, preservation of biodiversity and ecosystem services, production of plant-based proteins and products, and growth of the bioeconomy. Genes and the processes their products carry out create differences in how plants grow, develop, and behave, and thus, the key solutions to these challenges lie squarely in the space where plant genomics and physiology intersect. Advancements in genomics, phenomics, and analysis tools have generated massive datasets, but these data are complex and have not always generated scientific insights at the anticipated pace. Further, new tools may need to be created or adapted, and field-relevant applications tested, to advance scientific discovery derived from such datasets. Meaningful, relevant conclusions and connections from genomics and plant physiological and biochemical data require both subject matter expertise and the collaborative skills needed to work together outside of specific disciplines. Bringing the best expertise to bear on complex problems in plant sciences requires enhanced, inclusive, and sustained collaboration across disciplines. However, despite significant efforts to enable and sustain collaborative research, a variety of challenges persist. Here, we present the outcomes and conclusions of two workshops convened to address the need for collaboration between scientists engaged in plant physiology, genetics, and genomics and to discuss the approaches that will create the necessary environments to support successful collaboration. We conclude with approaches to share and reward collaboration and the need to train inclusive scientists that will have the skills to thrive in interdisciplinary contexts.

Social inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers: The role of public libraries in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area

Social inclusion of refugees and asylum seekers includes addressing their information needs. This research seeks to examine the role of public libraries in this process through the analysis of public librarians’ perceptions. Based on the constructivist paradigm, the case study method, and the semi-directive interview survey technique, 16 public municipal libraries in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (Portugal) are studied. The results highlight that these libraries do not identify forced migrants as their users. Still, they consider that the information needs and behaviors and the use of libraries by these communities are similar to those of economic migrants, with emphasis on the relevance of free access to the internet, foreign language resources, Portuguese language and digital literacy courses, and help to interact with online platforms. The gaps include the existence of few Portuguese courses for foreigners, a limited practice in assisting with job and housing searches, promoting health literacy, and inclusive collaboration with schools, as well as space, financial, and human resources constraints. To overcome these difficulties, librarians emphasize the motivation to fulfill the inclusive social mission of the public library, the universal accessibility and informal environment of the library, and its action to promote social cohesion and social capital. The respondents consider that the mission of public libraries is adjusted to the goal of social inclusion of forced migrants, but that there is room for improvement in the training of librarians. This research points to the need for more initiative-taking public library collaboration with existing inclusion networks. In conclusion, we seek to alert to the urgency of the involvement of Portuguese public libraries in the social inclusion of forced migrants, which will also contribute to their institutional legitimization.

The Medical Education Planetary Health Journey: Advancing the Agenda in the Health Professions Requires Eco-Ethical Leadership and Inclusive Collaboration

Climate change and the declining state of the planet’s ecosystems, due mainly to a global resource-driven economy and the consumptive lifestyles of the wealthy, are impacting the health and well-being of all Earth’s inhabitants. Although ‘planetary health’ was coined in 1980, it was only in the early 2000s that a call came for a paradigm shift in medical education to include the impact of ecosystem destabilization and the increasing prevalence of vector-borne diseases. The medical education response was, however, slow, with the sustainable healthcare and climate change educational agenda driven by passionate academics and clinicians. In response, from about 2016, medical students have taken action, developing much-needed learning outcomes, resources, policies, frameworks, and an institutional audit tool. While the initial medical education focus was climate change and sustainable healthcare, more recently, with wider collaboration and engagement (Indigenous voices, students, other health professions, community), there is now planetary health momentum. This chronological account of the evolution of planetary health in medical education draws on the extant literature and our (an academic, students, and recent graduates) personal experiences and interactions. Advancing this urgent educational agenda, however, requires universities to support inclusive transdisciplinary collaboration among academics, students and communities, many of whom are already champions and eco-ethical leaders, to ensure a just and sustainable future for all of Earth’s inhabitants.

Public diplomacy and Nigeria’s response to its internal political crises

Synonymous with Nigeria is a deep political cleavage, which causes major political issues to be violently contested along the lines of intricate ethnic, religious divisions. Although efforts have been made to change these narratives through political reengineering and public policy process, but all have failed to achieve the desired goal of national unity and security. Of what degree is the threats of internal crises to the existentiality of Nigeria? How best can the use of public diplomacy help mitigate the danger of Nigeria’s internal crises? Fundamentally, public diplomacy has the capability to transform a country’s socio-political and economic assets, while reversing the negative attitude of people towards these assets if handled very well. Using relational theory, the conflicts and hostility towards others is explained in relation to socio-economic, political, cultural, and religious intolerance amongst the ethnic groups that make up Nigeria. The findings shows that the inability of Nigeria leaders to put the interests of the diversity of Nigeria first and respect the sensibilities of a fragile nation grasping for survival is the worst political crime, ever committed against the country. Concluding that inclusive collaboration and not unhealthy socio-economic and political competition would bring the ethnic groups in Nigerians closer than ever before.