Knowledge Of Research Process Research Articles

Activist Participation in Academic Systems Three autoethnographic case studies of academic-activist positions in knowledge-work

Abstract Based on three autoethnographic cases, this article reflects on activist participation in academic systems. The three authors are activists with different attachments to and experiences of academic knowledge-work. Our experiences as activists in academia help us form the argument that many activist contributions to academic systems remain unacknowledged. We are using these overlooked cases to expand existing participatory and activist/action research that often assumes a preliminary distinction between activists and researchers. Instead, we pose critiques of participation that are neither internal (in the sense criticised by Cooke and Kothari) nor external, but formulated from positions in between as activist-academics. Our critiques of academic participation concern exploitation of student work in academic teaching, lack of acknowledgement of activist knowledge in research processes, and tendencies to dismiss activists as professional disseminators of academic knowledge.

Chief Information Officer team evolution in university hospitals: interaction of the three ‘C’s (CIO, CCIO, CRIO)

BackgroundThe Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) are now established senior roles in hospital practice. With increasing emphasis on optimising use of routine health data for...

Contemporary HIV/AIDS research: Insights from knowledge management theory

Knowledge management as a field is concerned with the management of knowledge, including the management of knowledge in research processes. Knowledge management theory has the potential to support research into problems such as HIV, antibiotic resistance and others, particularly in terms of aspects of scientific research related to the contribution of social science. To date, however, these challenges remain with us, and theoretical contributions that can complement natural science efforts to eradicate these problems are needed. This paper seeks to offer a theoretical contribution grounded in Kuhn’s paradigm theory of innovation, and in the argument by Lakatos that scientific research can be fundamentally non-innovative, which suggests that social science aspects of knowledge creation may hold the key to more effective biomedical innovation. Given the consequences of ongoing and emerging global crises, and the failure of knowledge systems of scientific research to solve such problems outright, this paper provides a review of theory and literature arguing for a new paradigm in scientific research, based on the development of global systems to maximise research collaborations. A global systems approach effectively includes social science theory development as an important complement to the natural sciences research process. Arguably, information technology and social media technology have developed to the point at which solutions to knowledge aggregation challenges can enable solutions to knowledge problems on a scale hitherto unimaginable. Expert and non-expert crowdsourced inputs can enable problem-solving through exponentially increasing problem-solving inputs, using the ‘crowd,’ thereby increasing collaborations dramatically. It is argued that these developments herald a new era of participatory research, or a democratisation of research, which offers new hope for solving global social problems. This paper seeks to contribute to this end, and to the recognition of the important role of social theory in the scientific research process.

Increased retention from a summer‐bridge program focused on academics, community, and leadership (618.34)

Under‐represented minority students leave science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors at high rates. As an intervention, pre‐college summer‐bridge programs have been successful. However, evaluations of existing programs focus on degree attainment and lack information on student experience while in college. Traditional summer‐bridge programs also emphasize ethnic backgrounds and academic under‐preparedness. We report a new summer‐bridge program that aims to address gaps in the literature described above.The new summer‐bridge program is different from traditional programs in significant ways. First, the definition of under‐representation is expanded to include socioeconomic need, first‐generation college student, and multilingualism. Second, the selection criteria focus on demonstrated commitments to promoting diversity and inclusion instead of ethnic backgrounds to avoid activation of stereotype threat. Third, courses are offered at different levels to challenge students regardless of academic preparation. Finally, the program is designed to engage participants in activities that focus on community building, leadership development, and authentic practices in biological research.A quasi‐experimental design with a historical comparison group (n=708) is used to study the effectiveness of this program. To date, three cohorts of participants (n=58) have completed the program. Pre‐ and post‐surveys reveal significant increases in reported help‐seeking, propensity for critical thinking, and knowledge of research process. In focus groups and interviews, participants reported that the program helped them connect with faculty, establish social networks, and become part of the university community. Critically, compared to a historical cohort, participants have higher grades (2.53±0.62 vs. 1.94±0.92, p<0.01) and retention rates (73% vs. 30%, p<0.01) in General Chemistry, the gateway course to many STEM disciplines including biology.Grant Funding Source: Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Strengthening data quality in studies of migrants not fluent in host languages: A canadian example with reproductive health questionnaires

The need to collect health data from refugees and asylum seekers often requires that questionnaires be translated. Verifying the clarity, meaning, and acceptability of translated questionnaires with monolingual persons, individuals from the target population who primarily speak and understand only the test language, is one important step in the translation process. Reproductive health questionnaires were tested with persons monolingual in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Spanish, and French. Testing revealed problematic questions and how culture, education, and migration experience can affect perceptions of questions. Bilingual liaisons from the communities of interest facilitated recruitment of participants, but liaisons' vulnerable status and lack of familiarity with research posed challenges to the testing process. When conducting monolingual testing it is important to: carefully select liaisons (consider their gender, host-language fluency, knowledge of research processes, and comfort with the subject matter of the research); recruit monolingual persons with characteristics representative of the research population; ensure adequate researcher involvement in all aspects of the testing process to triangulate data collection from various sources.

The 'idea of engagement' and 'the African University in the 21st Century': Some reflections

The theme of the 2005 biennial SAARDHE conference, `The African University in the 21st Century' provokes a discussion of fundamentals, in a similar manner to JH Newman's grapple with `the idea of the university' and more recently, the question proposed by the Association of Commonwealth Universities of whether universities should embrace `engagement with the wider society' as a core value? In this article I wish to critically reflect on recent debates on `the idea of engagement' and in which sense such debates have pertinence for `the African University in the 21st century'. Specifically, I shall look at engagement through the lens of research and examine what spaces the discourse of engagement might offer for the inclusion of indigenous knowledge in research processes. Since universities have traditionally specialised in knowledge production and manipulation it is fitting to focus on the role that the African University might play in knowledge production processes in the context of a global society that is fast becoming what is referred to as a `knowledge society' and in the context of local communities amongst whom indigenous ways of knowing reside.

Frying up hospital cafeteria food

<h3>Background</h3> The Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Clinical Information Officer (CCIO) are now established senior roles in hospital practice. With increasing emphasis on optimising use of routine health data for secondary purposes and research, additional skills are required as part of the senior information officer team, particularly in academic health care institutions. <h3>Objective</h3> To present the role of the Chief Research Information Officer (CRIO), as an emerging, and important, component of the senior information team. <h3>Method</h3> We review recent publications describing the composition of the senior information team, including CIO and CCIO roles, and discuss the development of the CRIO as a distinct component of the team, based on the published evidence and our experience. <h3>Results</h3> The CRIO is emerging as an additional senior role in academic healthcare institutions, whose roles include leadership of the informatics strategy and optimisation of routine data collection systems for research data use, in addition to important aspects of research data governance. Such individuals should be senior clinicians with experience in informatics, in addition to having established research expertise and knowledge of research processes, governance and academic networks. <h3>Conclusions</h3> The CRIO is emerging as a distinct senior information leadership role in conjunction with the already established positions of CCIO and CIO, who together, can provide optimal oversight of digital activities across the organisation.