Communicating about the brain in the digital era

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie M. Robillard ◽  
Emily Wight
Keyword(s):  
Brain Health ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
Participatory Communication ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Health Decision ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Science Community

Neuroscience communication is at a turning point, with tremendous opportunity for growth and democratization. The rise of the web and social media as platforms for dissemination of research findings and stakeholder engagement presents both unique opportunities and critical ethical considerations. Online- and mobile-based information and services for brain health may enhance the autonomy of users in health decision-making. However, nonadherence to ethical norms, such as informed consent and conflict of interest by digital content creators, may lead to harm. The challenges of communicating neuroscience in the digital era will require the rejection of the traditional top-down dissemination of research findings by the science community. Communicators must embrace participatory communication models, frame science in non-sensationalized, lay-friendly terms, improve the ethics of online resources and web users’ ability to assess the quality of information and source material, and educate scientists in the importance of transparency and public engagement.

scholarly journals The WHO-INTEGRATE evidence to decision framework version 1.0: integrating WHO norms and values and a complexity perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (Suppl 1) ◽  
pp. e000844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva A Rehfuess ◽  
Jan M Stratil ◽  
Inger B Scheel ◽  
Anayda Portela ◽  
Susan L Norris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Guideline Development ◽  
Evidence Synthesis ◽  
Societal Implications ◽  
Synthesis Methods ◽  
Quality Of Evidence ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
Norms And Values ◽  
Health Decision

IntroductionEvidence-to-decision (EtD) frameworks intend to ensure that all criteria of relevance to a health decision are systematically considered. This paper, part of a series commissioned by the WHO, reports on the development of an EtD framework that is rooted in WHO norms and values, reflective of the changing global health landscape, and suitable for a range of interventions and complexity features. We also sought to assess the value of this framework to decision-makers at global and national levels, and to facilitate uptake through suggestions on how to prioritise criteria and methods to collect evidence.MethodsIn an iterative, principles-based approach, we developed the framework structure from WHO norms and values. Preliminary criteria were derived from key documents and supplemented with comprehensive subcriteria obtained through an overview of systematic reviews of criteria employed in health decision-making. We assessed to what extent the framework can accommodate features of complexity, and conducted key informant interviews among WHO guideline developers. Suggestions on methods were drawn from the literature and expert consultation.ResultsThe new WHO-INTEGRATE (INTEGRATe Evidence) framework comprises six substantive criteria—balance of health benefits and harms, human rights and sociocultural acceptability, health equity, equality and non-discrimination, societal implications, financial and economic considerations, and feasibility and health system considerations—and the meta-criterion quality of evidence. It is intended to facilitate a structured process of reflection and discussion in a problem-specific and context-specific manner from the start of a guideline development or other health decision-making process. For each criterion, the framework offers a definition, subcriteria and example questions; it also suggests relevant primary research and evidence synthesis methods and approaches to assessing quality of evidence.ConclusionThe framework is deliberately labelled version 1.0. We expect further modifications based on focus group discussions in four countries, example applications and input across concerned disciplines.

scholarly journals Coping with cannabis in a Caribbean country : from problem formulation to going public

1998 ◽  
Vol 72 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 205-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hymie Rubenstein
Keyword(s):  
Personal Experience ◽  
Problem Formulation ◽  
Ethical Considerations ◽  
The Public ◽  
Production And Consumption ◽  
Local Media ◽  
Caribbean Country ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Research Findings

Analyzes the dialectic between problem discovery and formulation, ethical considerations, and the public dissemination of research results. Author describes his personal experience of fieldwork, the moral-ethical dilemmas it involved, and the circulation of research findings on cannabis production and consumption in St. Vincent. He became frustrated that his academic publications were only accessible to a tiny portion of St. Vincent's population and therefore decided to publish about cannabis in the local media.

scholarly journals Scientific method and research in health: orientation for professional practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 5-9
Author(s):  
Sandra Dircinha Teixeira de Araújo Moraes
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Professional Practice ◽  
Scientific Method ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
Social Interests ◽  
Scientific Principles ◽  
Health Decision ◽  
The Individual

In the health area, research is designed to develop reliable data on problems and needs that are important to the individual/community, with a particular focus on guiding practitioners. Today, due to innumerable innovations in health, health decision-making needs to be based on scientific principles, which is a daily process that is integral to the rhythm of life, product and reason for social interests in confrontation based on learning, not summarized to mere reproduction. In this context, when considering that the quality of the research is directly linked to the presentation of the results, it is important to note the importance of the construction of research protocols that present the step-by-step techniques of organization and analysis of the data, understanding that the researcher, when in possession of collected data, must be sure that when they work respecting the chosen technique, they will indicate the evidences of the study, with possibilities to achieve a new knowledge with the minimum of bias that can happen. Thus, it is understood the importance of emphasizing the scientific method as a way for the development of scientific research in order to achieve the objectives set, increasing the rigor of the research to give visibility to information that enables the professional practices conscious and within of criteria that contribute to decision making on care based on validated scientific information.  

scholarly journals The case for creative, visual and multimodal methods in operationalising concepts in research design: An examination of storyboarding trust stories

2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (6) ◽  
pp. 1229-1249
Author(s):  
Rachel Ayrton
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Reflexive Attention ◽  
Creative Research ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Visual Artist ◽  
Multimodal Methods ◽  
Thinking Tools ◽  
Conceptual Work

Creative, visual and multimodal research methods are commonly employed by sociologists in the ‘outward-facing’ activities of data collection, presentation and dissemination of research findings; however, they are rarely applied to the ‘inward-facing’ research practices of conceptualisation and research design. Responding to Pierre Bourdieu’s calls for methodological pluralism in sociology and for the construction of the object to be rigorously undertaken in every moment of research, I explore how such methods can be used by the researcher as effective thinking tools to enhance the creativity and quality of conceptual work as a precursor to empirical investigation. I investigate the affordances of this approach using a creative research method – storyboarding – to examine trust. Although empirical research commonly cites trust as an explanatory factor, its meaning is ambiguous and contested. Based on three imagined trust dilemmas developed with the involvement of a visual artist, I demonstrate how a visual creative process can encourage consistent attention to the construction of the research object. It also speculatively reveals new facets of phenomena and supports reflexive attention to the researcher’s relation to the object of research. I argue for sociological thinking to engage an eclectic range of visual and creative forms as legitimate tools capable of extending rigour and creativity.

Resistance Induction in the Context of Health Decision Making

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke L. Fransen ◽  
Saar Mollen
Keyword(s):  
Media Exposure ◽  
Literacy Interventions ◽  
Resistance Induction ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
The Past ◽  
Public Health Professionals ◽  
Resistance To Persuasion ◽  
Health Decision ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
External Forces

During the past few decades we have witnessed increased academic attention on resistance to persuasion. This comes as no surprise, as people are often persuaded by external forces when making important decisions that may affect their health. Public health professionals, scholars, and other concerned parties have developed numerous trainings, interventions, and regulations to teach or assist people to resist unwanted persuasion, deriving from media exposure (e.g., advertising) or social pressure. The extant literature on resistance induction encompasses strategies such as inoculation, media literacy interventions, trainings on specific persuasive techniques, warnings, and social influence interventions. Although the research findings of the discussed strategies vary in how straightforward they are, they do offer promising avenues for policymakers and health communication professionals. Furthermore, several avenues worthy of further study can be identified.

scholarly journals How commercial publishers play a role in developing a sustainable model for Open Access publishing

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte Ericsson Ryste ◽  
Katia Stieglitz ◽  
Simon Aase
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Scientific Publication ◽  
Scholarly Publishing ◽  
Open Access Publishing ◽  
Dissemination Of Research ◽  
The Face ◽  
Open Access Publisher ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Publishing Houses

One of the objectives of the open access movement has been to upend the traditional model for scholarly publishing by making research findings freely available to anyone, anywhere. The trend emerged partly in response to the major publishing houses having become the gatekeepers of the dissemination of research findings and setting high prices for access to this material via subscriptions to scholarly journals.On the face of it, this state of affairs suggests that commercial actors have no place in the realm of open access publishing. However, an argument can be made to the effect that commercial companies have a part to play in transforming the way scientific publication works and contribute to making research freely available. Having numerous interested parties in the OA domain may contribute towards making research accessible, leading to a general increase in innovation. This is necessary in a field that by and large is in its infancy, technologically, politically and economically. An OA initiative that is part of a profit-driven organization does not preclude it from contributing to a sustainable publishing model, and a commercial approach is not necessarily incompatible with the principles.  In this poster we offer NOASP as an example, and part of the wider context of commercial open access publishing. Nordic Open Access Scholarly Publishing is an open access publisher of scholarly journals and books in Scandinavia and a subdivision of Cappelen Damm Akademisk. NOASP was established in 2015 – and continues to grow.  In our experience, meeting the very specific criteria for Open Access publishing requires substantial investments in technology and human resources. Publishers who choose to establish themselves in this niche area must have a long-term strategy and develop specific expertise. Competition between publishing houses and other actors provides incentives for staying abreast of new requirements and standards, technology and infrastructure. These strategic and economic factors directly and positively impact the quality of journals and publishing solutions, and ultimately contribute to innovation in the field. The economics of commercial publishing, by heightening competition between the services publishers provide, therefore leads to improvement of both technical platforms and editorial practices. In turn, this leads to higher quality of the end product and broader distribution of the freely available research, which should ultimately be the goal of the OA movement.

Building research capacity and capabilities in Fiji: are we there yet?

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 265-271
Author(s):  
Jyotishna Mudaliar ◽  
Bridget Kool ◽  
Janice Natasha ◽  
Judith McCool
Keyword(s):  
Low Income ◽  
Research Capacity ◽  
Research Knowledge ◽  
Research Skills ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Access And Quality ◽  
The University ◽  
Local Investigator ◽  
Research Capacity Development

Introduction: A barrier to local investigator-led research in low income settings, is the limited availability of personnel with appropriate research skills or qualifications to conduct the type of research required for evidence-informed policy making to improve access and quality of health care. In response to this, Fiji National University’s College of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences in Fiji, collaborated with academics based at the University of Auckland, New Zealand to deliver a series of research capacity development workshops in Fiji. Methods: Participants who attended any of the nine workshops (n=123) were contacted via email to take part in a brief survey regarding their perceptions of the effectiveness of the research capacity building workshops. Of the possible 123 participants, 80% (n=76) completed the questionnaire.  Results: Findings demonstrate that the majority of participants reported that they had gained research skills from the workshops (75%) including proposal development skills (68%) and knowledge of appropriate research methods (59%). Furthermore, 70% agreed that the workshops built their research confidence.  Since attending a workshop, 18% of respondents had successfully applied and received funding for research grants and/or fellowships.  Barriers to conduct research included workload (75%), lack of research knowledge, experience or skills (51%), and lack of institutional support (41%). Suggestions for future workshops included: more focus on data analysis, regular courses rather than ‘one offs’, and preparation of research findings (e.g. publications). Conclusion: Our findings indicate that research workshops of this nature may increase individual research capabilities but sustained, locally led initiatives, backed by institutional and supplementary technical support are essential.

scholarly journals The NCCMT’s dynamic model for evidence-informed public health

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
E Clark ◽  
S Neil-Sztramko ◽  
M Dobbins
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Decision Making ◽  
Research Evidence ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Local Data ◽  
Public Health Decision ◽  
Health Decision Making ◽  
Political Preferences ◽  
Health Decision ◽  
Structured Approach

Abstract Issue It is well accepted that public health decision makers should use the best available research evidence in their decision-making process. However, research evidence alone is insufficient to inform public health decision making. Description of the problem As new challenges to public health emerge, there can be a paucity of high quality research evidence to inform decisions on new topics. Public health decision makers must combine various sources of evidence with their public health expertise to make evidence-informed decisions. The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools (NCCMT) has developed a model which combines research evidence with other critical sources of evidence that can help guide decision makers in evidence-informed decision making. Results The NCCMT's model for evidence-informed public health combines findings from research evidence with local data and context, community and political preferences and actions and evidence on available resources. The model has been widely used across Canada and worldwide, and has been integrated into many public health organizations' decision-making processes. The model is also used for teaching an evidence-informed public health approach in Masters of Public Health programs around the globe. The model provides a structured approach to integrating evidence from several critical sources into public health decision making. Use of the model helps ensure that important research, contextual and preference information is sought and incorporated. Lessons Next steps for the model include development of a tool to facilitate synthesis of evidence across all four domains. Although Indigenous knowledges are relevant for public health decision making and should be considered as part of a complete assessment the current model does not capture Indigenous knowledges. Key messages Decision making in public health requires integrating the best available evidence, including research findings, local data and context, community and political preferences and available resources. The NCCMT’s model for evidence-informed public health provides a structured approach to integrating evidence from several critical sources into public health decision making.

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