Biomedical research in developing countries: Opportunities, methods, and challenges
- Masudur Rahman, Uday C. Ghoshal, Krish Ragunath, Gareth Jenkins, Mesbahur Rahman, Cathryn Edwards, Mahmud Hasan, and Simon D Taylor-Robinson
Indian J Gastroenterol. 2020 Jun 30 : 1–11.
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12664-020-01056-5
This time, we chose to highlight this article as it is written by authors from various countries both developing and developed. The authors have covered several aspects of the importance of research starting. Importantly they have covered the relationship between research and clinical practice, – very often brushed away. They have not only mentioned the challenges, but have shared opportunities too.
The article covers the following:
Why Research is necessary: It is essential for improving global health, health equity, and economic development. Research capacity strengthening will always contribute towards national development and ways to deal with national health problems. Research forms the platform for evidence-based medicine.
There are multiple challenges, as well as opportunities for health research in developing countries.
The challenges of health research in developing countries are different from the developed world, which are also the cause of low scientific output from these countries.
Some of the challenges listed by the authors in developing countries are:
Limited research facilities, low or no priority for research, limited funding, lack of collaboration opportunities, low ethical standards, no training or institutional development.
Some of the Opportunities listed are:
A substantial number of patients, People not averse to research, Descriptive studies are not expensive and more.
The collaboration and partnership between the developed and developing nations provide multiple opportunities for research and thus bridge this gap and resolve this inherent problem.
The authors then move on to suggest – Things you need to know to do research.
- Why Research is necessary
- Frame a correct research question
- One needs to know the Research Ethics and Guidelines
- Funding Opportunities for the developing countries
- Collaborative research
- Choosing the appropriate type of study and design
- Writing a good paper
- Editing and publishing a research study
This review article aims to provide an outline of the research and to present a basic guide for early career researchers. Research does not have to be complicated, but it does need to adhere to the principles of scientific rigor, using a validated approach.
QMed’s note: We always like to add, that for doing research, good literature searching is much needed. For writing a good paper, good referencing skills are a must. These are often not mentioned in such papers. On one hand it is understood that these are important, but on the other hand, it appears that people think that these skills “just happen” with experience. Maybe they do, for some. But majority struggle and waste lots of time in these two activities. And that is why QMed exists. To add these two skills to all the requisites mentioned in this paper and more, for good research and writing!
Dipti Suvarna & Vasumathi Sriganesh