From Rhetoric to Reality: Planning and Conducting Collaborations for International Research in the Global South

Abstract

International collaboration in social work research, particularly research in the global south, presents unique opportunities for the personal and professional development of researchers and students alike. Yet data to help direct the process are limited. Using a research project recently carried out in Ghana as background, the authors present some guidelines for planning and conducting international research collaborations and underline challenges and opportunities in each. Factors highlighted include the process of building a collaboration, development of a research plan, funding and budget concerns, human subject considerations, sample selection, issues in collecting and analyzing data, and dissemination of research findings. Throughout, the authors address the role of respect, mutuality, and science in the conduct of international research in resource-constrained countries.

Nurse faculty as international research collaborators

“…For example, a research team could have a principal investigator for the entire study with coordinators at each collaborating site who are designated as either principal investigators or co‐investigators. Collaborative research teams can be comprised of nursing faculty with different specialties, credentials, and diversity, especially in collaboration at the international level (Lombe et al, ). Each team member is identified as to his or her contributions to the research topic of interest (Bender et al, ).…”

“…Even in countries with sparse Internet service, communication technologies can be used with smartphones over cellular services. Updates or brief communications can be accomplished via email (Lombe et al, ). These and other communication tools can improve the diversity of the participants in a study by drawing from a greater geographic, and increase the sample size.…”

The implications of neoliberalism for social work: Reflections from a six-country international research collaboration

“…This inevitably leads to the International Association of Schools of Social Work/International Federation of Social Workers (IASSW, 2001) definition. Whilst this current definition in part recognizes social work as having a unique perspective in relation to practice (Sims, 2011) and a degree of international commonality, others have highlighted that professional information to help direct the process of international collaboration in social work research is limited (Lombe et al, 2013). The acceptability of the definition has been challenged, along with the ability to have a single, global definition of social work in a postmodern cultural environment (Payne and Askeland, 2008;Sewpaul and Jones, 2005).…”

Support for International Collaboration in Research: The Role of the Overseas Offices of Basic Science Funders

“…An office may also consider bolstering social proximity in the long run through coordinating exchange programs for researchers or students . Exchange programs are typically aimed at helping young researchers forge new ties for future international collaborations (Jöns, ; Lombe, Newransky, Crea, & Stout, ; Melkers & Kiopa, ). Exchanges may help to build social networks which may eventually lead to new collaborations in the future.…”

“…Even when researchers are already acquainted and interested in collaborating, they face significant coordination costs to executing a research partnership. These costs can stem from differences in language (Hoekman et al., ), cultural norms and context (e.g., what journals the researchers consider as influential, the role of junior faculty in a research project, norms for conversation) (Cummings & Kiesler, ; Lombe et al., ; Sørensen, ), or institutional rules and processes (e.g., restrictions regarding intellectual property or conflict of interest) (Hoekman et al., ; Ponds, van Oort, & Frenken, ). Further costs are inherent in the challenges of traveling and coordinating meetings across large spatial distances (Ou et al., ).…”