What do we know about evidence-informed priority setting processes to set population-level health-research agendas: an overview of reviews

Background This overview aimed to synthesize existing systematic reviews to produce a draft framework of evidence-informed health priority setting that supports countries in identifying appropriate steps and methods when developing and implementing national research agendas. Main body We searched Ovid MEDLINE® and the WHO Institutional Repository for Information Sharing from 2010 to 2020 for critical or systematic reviews that evaluated research priority setting exercises. We adapted the AMSTAR checklist to assess the quality of included reviews and used adapted frameworks for data extraction and analysis. The search resulted in 2395 titles, of which 31 were included. Populations included in the reviews typically involved patients, families and carers, researchers, clinicians, policymakers and research funders. The topics covered in the reviews varied from specific diseases or conditions, approaches for healthcare practice or research priority setting methods itself. All the included systematic reviews were of low or critically low quality. The studies were thematically grouped based on their main focus: identifying and engaging with stakeholders; methods; context; and health area. Conclusion Our overview of reviews has reconfirmed aspects of existing frameworks, but has also identified new concepts for countries to consider while developing their national research agendas. We propose a preliminary framework for consideration that highlights four key phases: (1) preparatory, (2) priority setting, (3) follow-up phase and (4) sustainability phase, which have thirteen sub-domains to consider.

Further Mitigating the Academic-Law Enforcement Research Divide

Since the 1960s, there has been well-documented incidents of the scholar-practitioner tension within policing research. Though there has been maturation in the professional partnership over the years, hindrances persist. The current study aims to advance collaborative efforts between the academic and law enforcement communities. Data for the current study derived from written documents and interviews. Results indicate that one individual, who possesses the appreciative cultural and social capital, can successfully mobilize collaborative research agendas between academics and police officers. These forms of capital (i.e., cultural and social) offer a new outlook on negotiating the obstacles that inhibit successful research collaboration between both professions. For new policing scholars, who have minimal connections with law enforcement, findings in the current study may serve as a recipe of sorts to better understand the practitioners to identify in collaborative research endeavors.

On Politics in Comparative and International Higher Education

This paper draws attention to key conundrums facing researchers of comparative and international higher education in the age of post-truth and resurgent authoritarianism. The analysis focuses on three salient concerns: world class-universities and academic freedom; power brokerage in the internationalisation of higher education; and challenges of intellectual leadership – that dominated research agendas in the field. Situated at the crossroads of major arguments in the literature and observations derived from academic praxis in the three areas, the critique sets out to explain how politics have been gaining more weight in the construct of comparative and international higher education at a time when corporate elitism is on the rise and the freedoms of inquiry and communication are declining. The study warns about the failures of integrity in this context, and manifests imperatives for safeguarding academic freedom and critical research in the field.

A Review-Based Research Agenda on Green Banking Service Practices through Green CSR Activities

Purpose: The modern banking activities are submerged with green loans, green credit cards, green checking accounts, and also green mortgage along with online banking aspects. The purpose of this study is to identify the research gap and possible research agendas of connecting green banking practices and corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities of some chosen private and public sector banks in India. Design/Methodology: This study reviews the current status of various green banking practices of the banks and their corporate social responsibility activities of selected private and public banks of India. The data is collected from scholarly literature and internet sources. Findings: Through this review-based study, the current status of green banking practices and corporate social responsibility activities are identified. The green initiatives of public and private banks such as internet banking, mobile banking, green debit, and credit card loan are analyzed. Based on the current status and the ideal strategy of using CSR funds for such green activities, the research gap is determined. Based on the research gap, various research agendas to connect green banking practices and corporate social responsibility activities are developed and analyzed. Originality: This review-based research paper identifies the current status, research gap and analyses the research agendas related to strategies of utilizing CSR funds on green banking practices to fulfill the dual objectives of social responsibility and intensifying the brand value to retain existing and attract new customers. Paper Type: Review-based research analysis

Social Connections: Transformative Experiences Amid Disruptive Times

Today many older adults are experiencing intensified social isolation and loneliness as they attempt to “stay safe at home.” The notion, is a stark contrast from our understanding of the importance of social connections on health and well-being. This session highlights: first hand experiences caring for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic and the implications of social isolation on the health of older adults. The speaker will offer perspectives for ESPO members on the role of community engagement in orienting research agendas, both now (amid the pandemic) and into the future.

Gender gaps in science: systematic review of the main explanations and research agenda

Despite improvements in the incorporation of women in tertiary education and science, today persist several gender gaps in some scientific and technological areas worldwide. Understanding the factors that determine these gaps is essential to the incorporation of women into knowledge societies in terms of equity. The present research sought to explore and systematize the explanations given to this phenomenon by the international literature in the last four decades. The objectives were: (1). Analyze the evolution of the main research agendas and categorize these into groups (or clusters) of explanations, and (2) discuss the challenges that research agendas face in addressing the phenomenon in a multi-causal way. The data were obtained from the articles contained in the Web of Science (WoS) and were subjected to a systematic review using bibliometric and qualitative techniques. The analysis reveals an important growth of the research in this area within the social sciences, which is grouped into five main types of explanation: (1) student performance in STEM areas, (2) influence of gender stereotypes and models, (3) interests and educational-learning experiences, (4) educational-occupational expectations and choices, and (5) uneven advancement and performance in scientific careers. Evolution shows that explanations about performance and individual choice have lost weight in the present, giving rise to explanations about the influence of gender stereotypes and models within educational systems and socialization stages. This study thus contributes to the understanding of the causal factors that have determined gender gaps in science while identifying some gaps in research agendas.