How the pandemic has transformed research methods and ethics: 3 lessons from 33 rapid responses

In this post, Helen Kara and Su-ming Khoo, editors of three rapid response e-books on Researching in the Age of COVID19, outline how the pandemic has transformed the way academics conduct research. Drawing on their experience working with 90 researchers worldwide, they discuss: how the pivot to digital research methods has generated creativity and flexibility- whilst also posing challenges, how the digital divide has become more complex and new ethical dilemmas that have been posed by the pandemic

Including the ‘Invisible Middle’ of Decoloniality

This article traces a conversation around how to theorise and approach the inclusion of experiences, concepts and bodies situated in the ‘invisible middle’ of decoloniality. If coloniality is an immense, lengthy process resulting in colonial/modern structures (Mignolo 2007) comprising the ‘colonial present’ (Gregory 2004), ‘decoloniality’ requires surfacing, baring and bringing to bear the invisibilities and erasures of bodies that exist and resist with, through and in spite of colonial extraction and appropriation. We explore and connect different ideas of ‘being in the middle’ of decoloniality, paying particular attention to the notion of ‘the invisible middle’ in embodied practices of solidarity (Vered and Mason 2015, Moten and Harney 2013, Simpson 2013), and noting the similarities with the ‘included middle’ in transdisciplinary thought and practice (Khoo et al 2019; Nicolescu 2010; Gibbons and Nowotny 2001). The ‘invisible middle’ emerges in hidden-in-plain-sight, politically engaged affective orientations (Gregg and Seigworth 2010), while the ‘included middle’ is an axiomatic concept in transdisciplinary, transformative praxis. We discuss embodied and creative practices of art and ‘dance politics’ as jumping-off points for further thinking-with decolonial haunting. In particular, we think with feminist lenses like Ettinger’s ‘matrixial borderspace’ (2006), Barad’s ‘intra-actions’ (2007) and Rivera Cusicanqui’s motley ‘ch’ixi’ (2012), to surface affective entanglements and co-emergences of meaning that return to what really matters, moving beyond accounting-for-difference and towards accountability. In tracing our exchange, we respond to the call to orient thinking towards transformation, and for decoloniality to be ‘an engagement with difference that makes a difference to what was originally thought’ (Bhambra 2007, 880)

Information and communication technology for environmental regulation: developing a research agenda

The ways in which information and communications technology can be used to support environmental regulation were the subject of an international exploratory workshop in NUI Galway on 20–21 June 2013. The event, ‘Information and Communications Technology for Environmental Regulation: Developing a Research Agenda’, was funded by NUI Galway’s Ryan Institute for Environmental, Marine and Energy Research, the Whitaker Institute for Innovation and Societal Change, and the Irish Research Council. It attracted over fifty international experts from Europe, the United States of America and Australia. The delegates were experts in law, the physical and social sciences, information systems and web science. The lively discussions addressed topics such as real-time monitoring of air pollution through sensors; large-scale databases of geographical information on the health of rivers, lakes and beaches; satellite-based monitoring of farming patterns; and the provision of information on industrial pollution to the public through government websites. Speakers included academics, staff from non-governmental agencies and personnel from regulatory agencies. Slides and recordings from the event are available online at http://ict4er.org/ict4er-2013/

The impact of caregiving on caregivers of older persons and its associated factors: A cross-sectional study

Introduction Many older people rely on caregivers for care. Caregiving for older people could pose significant burdens on caregivers yet may also have positive effects. This study aimed to assess the impact of caregiving on caregivers and to determine the associated factors of caregivers who were burdened. Methods This was a cross-sectional study of 385 caregivers of older people who attended a community clinic in Malaysia. Convenience sampling was employed during the study period on caregivers aged > 21 years and who provided at least 4 hours of unpaid support per week. Participants were asked to complete a self-administered questionnaire which included The COPE Index and the EASY-Care Standard 2010 Independence Score. The COPE Index was used to assess the impact of caregiving. A caregiver who was highly burdened is one who scores for all three COPE subscales were positive for burden. Care-recipients' independence was assessed using the Independence Score of the EASY-Care Standard 2010 questionnaire. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with caregiver burden. Results Seventy three (19%) caregivers were burdened, of which two were highly burdened. The median scores of the positive value, negative impact and quality of support scales were 13.0, 9.0, and 12.0 respectively. Care-recipients' median independence score was 18.0. Ethnicity and education levels were found to be factors associated with caregiver burden. Conclusions Most caregivers gained satisfaction and felt supported in caregiving. Ethnicity and education level were associated with caregiver being burdened

Epistemic (in)justice and decolonisation in higher education : experiences of a cross-site teaching project

Higher education has been strongly contested in recent times, on the grounds of its role in reproducing epistemic injustice, leading to calls to ‘decolonise’ institutions, curricula and teaching practices. Meanwhile, the practice of epistemic critique also points to potentials for challenge, learning and change. This article offers critical reflections in two distinct moments of time: firstly, reflections on experiences of a cross-site teaching project (2016) involving three of the authors (Mucha, Pesch and Wielenga) from the Departments of Political Science at the Universities of Düsseldorf (Germany) and Pretoria (South Africa) in an academic virtual collaboration project using shared classes and video-conferencing tools to study peace-building, human mobility and mediation. Secondly, the writing process for this article has involved a further collaborative author (Khoo) to comment upon and theorise curriculum-making and teaching experiences. We look at the different contexts in each country and how far the curricula and syllabi at both universities can be supplemented by cross-site teaching elements to deal with epistemic asymmetries in higher education reflexively, while leaning towards a more just knowledge (re)production. Some key challenges and limitations of the cross-site project are also discussed.https://journals.ufs.ac.za/index.php/aa/indexpm2020Political Science

The changing face of primary care: a cross sectional study in Malaysia

There has been an epidemiological transition in morbidity and mortality patterns in developing countries. This study aimed to determine whether there was an accompanying change in disease presentation in primary care. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at 12 public primary care clinics in Malaysia. Outpatient medical records were randomly selected and reviewed to identify patients’ reasons for encounter. The overall retrieval of records was 99.1% (n=1,753; range 95.7-100.0%). The mean age was 33.1 (SD 22.2) years. For all ages, the most common reasons for patient encounter (RFE) were cough (21.1%; 95% CI 16.5, 25.8), follow-up care for chronic diseases (19.6%; 95% CI 12.7, 26.6) and fever (18.4%; 95% CI 14.2, 22.5). The top RFE in West Malaysia was follow-up care for chronic diseases while in East Malaysia, the most common RFE was cough (25.2%; 95% CI 16.8, 33.6) and fever (21.7%; 95% CI 14.3, 29.0). In conclusion, there is a change in the presentation of diseases, with chronic disease emerging as one of the top RFE in primary care. In adults, for all age groups over 40 years old, care for chronic diseases has overtaken acute disease care. However, acute respiratory problems remain the overall top RFE at public primary care clinics in Malaysia. There are major differences in morbidity patterns and reasons for encounter for different age groups and geographical areas and this could be utilized for better health care planning

Perceptions of childhood asthma and its control among Malays in Malaysia: a qualitative study

Children with poor asthma control have poor health outcomes. In Malaysia, the Malays have the highest asthma prevalence and poorest control compared to other ethnicities. We aimed to explore Malay children with asthma and their parents’ perceptions on asthma and its control. We conducted focus group discussions (FGD) using a semi-structured interview guide. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed thematically. Sixteen children and parents (N = 32) participated. The perception of asthma was based on personal experience, cultural and religious beliefs, and there was mismatch between children and parents. Parents perceived mild symptoms as normal, some had poor practices, raising safety concerns as children were dependent on them for self-management. Conflicting religious opinions on inhaler use during Ramadhan caused confusion in practice. Parents perceived a lack of system support towards asthma care and asthma affected quality of life. Urgent intervention is needed to address misconceptions to improve asthma care in children

Reducing medical errors in primary care using a pragmatic complex intervention

This study aimed to develop an intervention to reduce medical errors and to determine if the intervention can reduce medical errors in public funded primary care clinics. A controlled interventional trial was conducted in 12 conveniently selected primary care clinics. Random samples of outpatient medical records were selected and reviewed by family physicians for documentation, diagnostic, and management errors at baseline and 3 months post intervention. The intervention package comprised educational training, structured process change, review methods, and patient education. A significant reduction was found in overall documentation error rates between intervention (Pre 98.3% [CI 97.1-99.6]; Post 76.1% [CI 68.1-84.1]) and control groups (Pre 97.4% [CI 95.1-99.8]; Post 89.5% [85.3-93.6]). Within the intervention group, overall management errors reduced from 54.0% (CI 49.9-58.0) to 36.6% (CI 30.2-43.1) and medication error from 43.2% (CI 39.2-47.1) to 25.2% (CI 19.9-30.5). This low-cost intervention was useful to reduce medical errors in resource-constrained settings