Actions for fostering cross-disciplinary global health research A qualitative research
Authors: Ding Yan , Tomeny Ewan , Bates Imelda ,   the IMPALA Consortium
Published: October 2021

Introduction

The ability to conduct cross-disciplinary research in international collaborations is critical for improving global health. Published evidence on actions to foster cross-disciplinary research comes mainly from high-income countries with its applicability to global health unclear. Our study investigated the actions taken to foster cross-disciplinary research across a North-South global health programme to recommend actions to improve the effectiveness of future cross-disciplinary research programmes in global health.

Methods

We used an adapted three-component framework to frame data collection and analyses. Building on a recent literature review, we compared actions used by the programme for planning, implementing and managing cross-disciplinary research to those described in the literature. Data sources included interviews with 31 participants (including researchers, administrators, and collaborators), a review of programme documents, a baseline survey, and observations of interactions at meetings and events. Interview data were coded and analysed using the framework. Narrative summaries were created using thematic synthesis and triangulated by the document review and observations.

Results

For cross-disciplinary research to be successful in global health, a shared vision with explicit goals is essential. These goals concern knowledge integration supported by regular communication, orientation about involved disciplines, and equitable partnerships across institutions and individuals. Fostering cross-disciplinary global health research needs a significant time investment from researchers, support staff, and programme leaders. Indicators for tracking cross-disciplinary working should be agreed at the outset and monitored throughout.

Conclusion

Cross-disciplinary activities should be managed separately from primary research activities. The three-component framework would be helpful in guiding designing cross-disciplinary programmes.

Summary Box

What is already known?

Global health can be advanced by cross-disciplinary collaboration within and beyond the health sciences.

Individual researchers, research team leaders, academic institutions and research funders all have roles in making cross-disciplinary research more effective.

Published evidence on actions to foster cross-disciplinary research comes mainly from high-income countries and its applicability to global health is unclear.

What are the new findings?

The cross-disciplinary aspects of research programmes need to be actively managed.

Pre-agreed indicators should be used to plan and track cross-disciplinary research.

Fostering cross-disciplinary research and managing tensions takes time and explicit continuous discussions.

Our adapted three-component framework (i.e., planning, implementation and management) is useful for collecting and analysing multi-source and multi-perspective data on a cross-disciplinary programme in real-time.

What do the new findings imply?

Cross-disciplinary activities should be managed and tracked separately from the primary research activities.

Progress in research planning, implementation, and management should be reviewed against pre-agreed indicators, with troubleshooting conducted accordingly.

Cross-disciplinary research requires the allocation of more time and funds for active management of research planning than would be required for mono-disciplinary projects.

The three-component framework would be helpful in guiding the design of cross-disciplinary programmes.