Towards Evidence-Informed Agriculture Policy Making: Investigating the Knowledge Translation Practices of Researchers in the National Agriculture Research Institutes in Nigeria

This study investigated the knowledge translation practices of researchers in the National Agriculture Research Institutes of Nigeria and the utilization of research knowledge by policy actors in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in Nigeria. Data for the study was obtained from agriculture researchers and the policy actors through questionnaires and interviews. In addition, bibliometric and content analysis were carried out on documents from the research institutes and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to gauge the transfer and use of knowledge by the researchers and policy actors respectively. Out of about six hundred questionnaires that were distributed to the researchers in fifteen agricultural research institutes, four hundred and forty-eight usable questionnaires were analysed. Twenty-two researchers were interviewed about their knowledge translation practices and fourteen senior members of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were interviewed regarding their use of research knowledge generated at the agriculture research institutes. Majority of the agriculture researchers reported that they occasionally carried out knowledge translation activities targeted at policy actors in the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, with the most common knowledge translation method being the sending of annual reports to the ministry. However, the policy actors hardly made use of such reports in policy making either due to lack of emphasis on the part of the researchers on policy implications of their research or non-relevance of the research to policy making. Similarly, content analysis of the ministry’s documents showed that policy actors rarely made references to findings from the agriculture research institutes. Interestingly, journal articles from two of the research institutes seemed to have received a lot of citations from other authors affiliated with educational institutions in Nigeria. The most prominent barrier for knowledge translation noted by researchers was the high cost of translating research knowledge. Hence, this study recommends: provision of adequate budget, incentives and time to Nigerian agriculture researchers to enable them to do KT; and capacity building training / workshops for both researchers and policy actors to boost knowledge translation for agriculture policy making in Nigeria

Localising and tailoring published research evidence helps public health decision making

Background Published research evidence is typically not readily applicable to practice but needs to be actively mobilised. Objectives This paper explores the mechanisms used by information professionals with a specific knowledge mobilisation role to make evidence useful for local decision making and planning of public health interventions. Methods Data are drawn from a NIHR project that studied how, when, where and by whom published research evidence is used in commissioning and planning across two sites (one in England and one in Scotland). Data included 11 in‐depth interviews with information professionals, observations at meetings and documentary analysis. Results Published research evidence is made fit for local commissioning and planning purposes by information professionals through two mechanisms. They localise evidence (relate evidence to local context and needs) and tailor it (present actionable messages). Discussion Knowledge mobilisation roles of information professionals are not recognised and researched. Information professionals contribute to the ‘inform’ and ‘relational’ functions of knowledge mobilisation; however, they are less involved in improving the institutional environment for sustainable knowledge sharing. Conclusion Information professionals are instrumental in shaping what evidence enters local decision making processes. Identifying and supporting knowledge mobilisation roles within health libraries should be the focus of future research and training

Transferring research from a university to the United Kingdom National Health Service : The implications for impact

This is an Open Access article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.The aim of this article is to inform readers of the author's reflections on the experience of transferring universitybased research into the commercial sector, and of the processes and strategies employed when preparing for impact in so doing. Concepts for the transfer are illustrated by the author's reflection on aspects that arose during the birthing and subsequent start-up of a university spin-off, Pathways2Wellbeing, a form of reflection-on-action. This is the vehicle for the adaption required to transfer research into the delivery of a specialised clinic in the United Kingdom National Health Service for people with medically unexplained, persistent, bodily symptoms such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue and chronic pain. It is hoped that the article will provide readers with an insight into how knowledge transfer can take place through engagement with stakeholders to create an exchange of knowledges to result in impact on health service policy for service users, despite the challenges, and the enablers that facilitated this process. The reflections on the process of knowledge transfer and the implications for impact are underpinned by relevant theory.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Older Adults and Information and Communication Technologies in the Global North

At all ages, people are incorporating information and communication technologies (ICTs) into their lives. It is not that they have stopped talking with each other in-person, it is that ICTs complement their interactions when they cannot be together face-to-face. Since the 1990s, email has provided a routine way to stay in touch and sustain meaningful contact over distance. But not all age groups have adopted ICTs with the same enthusiasm. Research in the Global North has consistently reported that age plays an important role in ICT adoption and use (Anderson and Perrin 2017). For example, older adults have been the least likely to use ICTs, and even when they do use ICTs, they are less active in their use (Blank and Groselji 2014; Haight, Quan-Haase, and Corbett 2014; Schreurs, Quan-Haase, and Martin 2017). Yet, this is changing. As more older adults use ICTs, analysts are wondering how such ICTs affect older adults’ social networks (Wang, Zhang and Wellman 2018; Wellman, Quan-Haase and Harper forthcoming): Are ICTs helping older adults build, maintain, or diminish personal networks? And how are they supporting or limiting the exchange of social support both for local and long-distance social networks? Moreover, are ICTs affecting different types of social ties differently—be they kin, friend, neighbor, workmate, or churchgoer; or strong or weak

Absence of association between pyronaridine in vitro responses and polymorphisms in genes involved in quinoline resistance in Plasmodium falciparum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The aim of the present work was to assess the <it>in vitro </it>cross-resistance of pyronaridine with other quinoline drugs, artesunate and several other commonly used anti-malarials and to evaluate whether decreased susceptibility to pyronaridine could be associated with genetic polymorphisms in genes involved in reduced quinoline susceptibility, such as <it>pfcrt</it>, <it>pfmdr1</it>, <it>pfmrp </it>and <it>pfnhe</it>.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The <it>in vitro </it>chemosusceptibility profiles of 23 strains of <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>were analysed by the standard 42-hour ³H-hypoxanthine uptake inhibition method for pyronaridine, artesunate, chloroquine, monodesethylamodiaquine, quinine, mefloquine, lumefantrine, atovaquone, pyrimethamine and doxycycline. Genotypes were assessed for <it>pfcrt</it>, <it>pfmdr1</it>, <it>pfnhe-1 </it>and <it>pfmrp </it>genes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The IC₅₀values for pyronaridine ranged from 15 to 49 nM (geometric mean = 23.1 nM). A significant positive correlation was found between responses to pyronaridine and responses to artesunate (<it>r²</it>= 0.20; <it>P </it>= 0.0317) but too low to suggest cross-resistance. No significant correlation was found between pyronaridine IC₅₀and responses to other anti-malarials. Significant associations were not found between pyronaridine IC₅₀and polymorphisms in <it>pfcrt</it>, <it>pfmdr1</it>, <it>pfmrp </it>or <it>pfnhe-1</it>.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>There was an absence of cross-resistance between pyronaridine and quinolines, and the IC₅₀values for pyronaridine were found to be unrelated to mutations in the transport protein genes <it>pfcrt</it>, <it>pfmdr1</it>, <it>pfmrp </it>or <it>pfnhe-1</it>, known to be involved in quinoline resistance. These results confirm the interest and the efficacy of the use of a combination of pyronaridine and artesunate in areas in which parasites are resistant to quinolines.</p

From Data Disclosure to Privacy Nudges: A Privacy-aware and User-centric Personal Data Management Framework

Although there are privacy-enhancing tools designed to protect users' online privacy, it is surprising to see a lack of user-centric solutions allowing privacy control based on the joint assessment of privacy risks and benefits, due to data disclosure to \emph{multiple} platforms. In this paper, we propose a conceptual framework to fill the gap: aiming at the user-centric privacy protection, we show the framework can not only assess privacy risks in using online services but also the added values earned from data disclosure. Through following a human-in-the-loop approach, it is expected the framework provides a personalized solution via preference learning, continuous privacy assessment, behavior monitoring and nudging. Finally, we describe a case study towards "leisure travelers" and several future areas to be studied in the ongoing project

Knowledge Translation in Agriculture: A Literature Review / L\u27application des connaissances dans le secteur agricole: une revue de la littérature

Abstract: Knowledge from research should be disseminated not only to advance knowledge but also to inform practice and policy decisions. Research knowledge has the potential to influence practice and policy and result in tangible outcomes. Agriculture plays a vital role in the economies of many nations. Given the value placed on the transfer and use of research knowledge, and in light of the importance of agriculture research, this review article explores studies that have been carried out with respect to knowledge translation in agriculture to determine the amount, focus, and nature of such studies. The main procedures for conducting the review were: (1) searching for studies; (2) selecting studies based on relevance; (3) extracting data; and (4) reporting the findings. The findings are presented according to five key points derived from Lavis’ framework for knowledge transfer: the message; the target audience; the messenger; the knowledge translation process and support system; and evaluation. Out of 268 studies identified through various search strategies, twenty-seven were deemed to be relevant to the objectives and were included in the review. Findings from this review elucidate that while there was a variety of knowledge transferred, agriculture researchers are the most popular messengers for the transfer of agriculture research knowledge and farmers are the most popular target audience. This review demonstrates that although there are studies on knowledge translation with an emphasis on agriculture knowledge to farmers indexed in scholarly databases, it advocates for more empirical studies to investigate how research knowledge is translated to policy-makers in the agriculture domain. It also calls for studies to explicate the role of libraries and library and information science professionals in the translation of agriculture research knowledge. Résumé: Les connaissances provenant de la recherche devraient être diffusées pour contribuer non seulementà leur propre avancement, mais aussi aux pratiques et aux décisions stratégiques. Les connaissances résultant de la recherche ont le potentiel d’influencer les pratiques et les politiques, et d’aboutir à des résultats tangibles. L’agriculture joue un rôle vital dans l’économie de nombreux pays dans le monde. Étant donné la valeur accordée au transfert et à l’utilisation des connaissances résultant de la recherche, et compte tenu de l’importance de la recherche agricole, cette recension de littérature fait le tour des études qui ont été réalisées dans le domaine de l’application des connaissances dans le secteur agricole afin de déterminer la quantité, le point central et la nature de ces études. Méthodes : les principales procédures pour mener à bien cette recension ont été les suivantes : (1) la recherche d’études; (2) la sélection des études sur la base de leur pertinence; (3) l’extraction de données; et (4) la présentation des résultats. Les résultats sont présentés en suivant les cinq points clés empruntés au cadre Lavis de transfert des connaissances : le message, le public ciblé; le messager; le processus de transfert des connaissances et l’infrastructure de communication en appui ; et l’évaluation. Sur les deux-centsoixante-huit études identifiées grâce à diverses stratégies de recherche, vingt-sept ont été jugées pertinentes par rapport aux objectifs et ont été incluses dans la recension. Les résultats de cette recension montrent clairement que même s’il y a un grand choix de connaissances transférées, les chercheurs du domaine de l’agriculture sont les messagers les plus populaires pour le transfert des connaissances de la recherche agricole, et les agriculteurs sont le public cible le plus populaire. Cette recension démontre que bien qu’il existe des études effectuées auprès d’agriculteurs indexés dans les bases de données scientifiques sur l’application des connaissances et mettant l’accent sur les connaissances en agriculture, des études plus empiriques sont préconisées pour étudier comment les connaissances de la recherche sont appliquées par les décideurs dans le domaine de l’agriculture. Cette recension préconise également des études expliquant le rôle des bibliothèques et des professionnels en bibliothéconomie et sciences de l’information dans l’application des connaissances provenant de la recherche en agriculture