U.S. trainees’ experiences of ethical challenges during research in low- and middle-income countries: A mixed methods study

High-income country (HIC) trainees are participating in research in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in increasing numbers, yet the ethical challenges they face have not been well described. We conducted a mixed methods study of U.S. graduate and undergraduate students who conducted research...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Global public health 2022-07, Vol.17 (7), p.1433-1449
Main Authors: Standish, Katherine, McDaniel, Katherine, Ahmed, Shirin, Allen, Nikole H., Sircar, Sohini, Mira, Meredith, Khoshnood, Kaveh
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Challenges
Ethical dilemmas
Ethics
Income
Internet
Interviews
Low income groups
Mentoring
Mixed methods research
Polls & surveys
Prioritizing
Qualitative analysis
Qualitative research
Research subjects
Respondents
Responses
Teachers
Trainees
Undergraduate students
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Summary:High-income country (HIC) trainees are participating in research in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) in increasing numbers, yet the ethical challenges they face have not been well described. We conducted a mixed methods study of U.S. graduate and undergraduate students who conducted research in LMIC, including an online survey and semi-structured interviews. Among 123 online survey respondents, 31% reported ethical challenges and nearly two-thirds of respondents did not feel well prepared to deal with ethical challenges. Qualitative analysis of the 17 semi-structure interviews and narrative survey responses revealed many themes of ‘ethics in practice’: challenges in setting research priorities, navigating relationships with host country partners, scope of research practice, and human subject protections. Respondents reported that pre-departure trainings were not reflective of ethical frameworks or research contexts in LMIC, and few described seeking host mentor help in addressing ethical challenges. These results suggest a need for improvements in training, oversight and mentorship of trainee researchers, and to further engage both HIC and LMIC institutions, educators and researchers in addressing ethical issues.
ISSN:1744-1692
1744-1706
DOI:10.1080/17441692.2021.1933124