Locating Pagkatao: Self-Reflexivity in Philippine LGBTQI History-Writing

At a time when a global pandemic has disrupted lives to a large extent across the globe, doing research has become ever more complex, challenging and uncertain. Such unexpected shifts in the dynamics of research, resulting in unpredictable consequences, have prompted the author to further reflect on her positionality as a researcher writing LGBTQI history. In this paper, the author joins scholars who propose self-reflexivity as both an analytical and ethical tool in understanding volatile research contexts. In gender and sexuality studies much has been written about the importance of self-reflexivity in understanding the impact of researchers' social and epistemic locations in knowledge production. The paper argues that self-reflexive practice is especially important in studying the histories of gender and sexual identities in a multiply colonised society such as the Philippines. The author reflects on her own identity and its continuing impact on her research process. Through a decolonial lens, she uses the Filipino psychological concept of pagkatao and unpacks its multi-layered meanings as selfhood, humanness and human dignity – three crucial elements in writing the history of identities. © 2023, Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute. All rights reserved.

Comprensión, confianza y ética en las entrevistas con personas migrantes

Qualitative social research on the lives of migrants in Chile involves investigating the social suffering that arises from the "migratory condition" that is produced. The progressive recrudescence of migration policies both at national and international level since the end of the 20th century has further deepened the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic, generating a complex scenario for research in this area for two reasons: the online modality assumed by the interviewing exercise, and the increase of frictions in the relationship between Chileans and migrants. In this text we ask ourselves how to investigate someone who suffers, for which we stop, on the one hand, in the interview as an exercise that should be vigilant of the structural conditions in which it occurs and that can produce symbolic violence, while it should tend to the understanding of the social from the singularity of a life that the interview attends. This implies considering that the ethics of research runs through the very exercise of, in this case, the interview, so that it is not an external constraint to the method, but an integral part of its deployment. Informed consents play a fundamental role in the achievement of the above, however, they often turn out to be standardized protocols that fail to protect or inform the participating subjects, given their technical language and the little reflection on the social relationship they establish, with the result that Informed Consent ends up being installed in the distance between the researcher and the research participant. This is why it is necessary to stop and consider what is understood by ethics, in order to make the interview a fair institution that is built on the recognition of the other as part of the research exercise. Thus, ethics in qualitative social research must be recognized as both situated and, therefore, as reflexive and non-standardized. Thus, we conclude by arguing that in qualitative social research, understanding and ethics are imbricated in a single exercise.

E-research in early psychosis: Methodological recommendations for ethics and data security

Aims: The COVID-19 pandemic compelled replacement in traditional research practices (paper-pencil questionnaire) to technology-driven practices (online surveys). Such methods may be effective in reaching larger samples, geographically harder-to-reach populations, reduce recruitment costs, increase cost and time efficiency of recruitment. Despite these advantages, concerns about privacy and confidentiality, sample bias, data quality such as inaccurate responses, duplicate survey completion, and fraudster activity or bots prevail. We aim to provide researchers and reviewers with a series of recommendations for effectively executing and evaluating data collection via online platforms. Method(s): A rapid literature review was conducted and best practices and strategies to mitigate problems with e-research data collection were collated in summer 2021. Based on study needs, these strategies were applied in an on-going e-research in early psychosis intervention services with multiple stakeholder groups across Canada. Result(s): The results were categorized and prioritized based on strategy effectiveness (most, moderate, least) and at three implementation stages (before, during, and after recruitment). An 11-step data quality checklist was adapted and implemented in consultation and approval from institutional research ethics board thus ensured ethical acceptability. Key strategies include not sharing the full survey link publicly, collecting and checking paradata, attention check questions, and so forth. Conclusion(s): Given their unique strengths, the challenges of internetbased research and data collection should not deter researchers from using such approaches. Further, our study provides concrete evidence-based practices and insights for advancing ethical and highquality e-research, taking into account specific considerations associated with early psychosis settings.

Research and Technology Development Achievements During the COVID-19 Pandemic—An Overview

At the beginning of 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) started a coordinated global effort to counterattack the potential exponential spread of the SARS-Cov2 virus, responsible for the coronavirus disease, officially named COVID-19. This comprehensive initiative included a research roadmap published in March 2020, including nine dimensions, from epidemiological research to diagnostic tools and vaccine development. With an unprecedented case, the areas of study related to the pandemic received funds and strong attention from different research communities (universities, government, industry, etc.), resulting in an exponential increase in the number of publications and results achieved in such a small window of time. Outstanding research cooperation projects were implemented during the outbreak, and innovative technologies were developed and improved significantly. Clinical and laboratory processes were improved, while managerial personnel were supported by a countless number of models and computational tools for the decision-making process. This chapter aims to introduce an overview of this favorable scenario and highlight a necessary discussion about ethical issues in research related to the COVID-19 and the challenge of low-quality research, focusing only on the publication of techniques and approaches with limited scientific evidence or even practical application. A legacy of lessons learned from this unique period of human history should influence and guide the scientific and industrial communities for the future. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Pulmonary ct manifestations of COVID-19: changes within 2 weeks duration from presentation

BackgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Chest computed tomography (CT) plays an essential role in the evaluation of COVID-19. This retrospective study aims to determine and compare the pulmonary changes in Iraqi patients with COVID-19 disease across the first two weeks after onset of symptoms using computerized tomography (CT) scan.Ninety-six patients with COVID-19 disease were enrolled in this study. Patients were divided into two groups according to the duration of symptoms (the first group has been scanned within the first week of presentation while the second group has been scanned in the second week).ResultsThe CT findings in the first and second group were as follows: ground glass opacity (GGO) were 94.3% vs. 88.5%, consolidation were 25.7% vs. 34.6%, broncho vascular thickening were 18.6% vs. 7.7%, crazy paving appearance were 15.7% vs. 3.8%, tree-in-bud appearance were 4.3% vs. 10.7%, pulmonary nodules were 5.1% vs. 7.7%, and bronchiectasis were 5.5% vs. 7.7%. Pleural effusion and cavitation were seen only in the first group (2.9% and 1.4% respectively).The distribution of CT changes across the two groups were as follows: bilateral changes were 85.7% vs. 100%;central distribution were 11.4% vs. 11.5%;peripheral distribution were 64.3% vs. 42.3%, and diffuse (central and peripheral) distribution were 24.3% vs. 46.2% while multilobar distribution were 70% vs. 80.8%.ConclusionThe type, extent, and distributions of pulmonary manifestations associated with COVID-19 infection are significantly different between the two groups who have been scanned in different stages of the disease.

Relationality and online interpersonal research: Ethical, methodological and pragmatic extensions

The availability, affordability and usability of communication technologies have created new ways to conduct interpersonal qualitative research. Access to digital communications remains uneven, but the online environment provides an alternative, and at times a potentially preferable, research space. As Covid-19 has interrupted and disrupted the dominant assumption that qualitative research must be conducted in person, this paper outlines possibilities and reservations of online interpersonal methods. Though the standard ethical considerations of qualitative research hold true, we argue that these are necessary, but often inadequate, in the contexts of conducting online synchronous interpersonal research. Through centring relational and reflexive practice, we consider the associated pragmatic, methodological and ethical domains from feminist and virtual–material positional perspectives. Unpacking the complexities and possibilities of researching digital environments, we present six guiding principles to inform ethically responsive, methodologically robust and pragmatically feasible approaches to conducting online interpersonal qualitative research.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Anxiety, Depression and Post-traumatic Stress among Frontline Nurses during COVID-19: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: COVID-19 is a public health emergency and has caused traumatic experiences among nurses worldwide. However, the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress symptoms in frontline nurses, and affecting factors such as demographics or working conditions have largely remained unknown. Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress of frontline nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic and related risk factors. Methodology: A web-based survey was conducted in a cross-sectional design. A total of 244 nurses working with patients diagnosed with COVID-19 were selected using convenience sampling. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify the predictors of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Results: Of the participants, 48% had anxiety levels higher than the cut-off value, 68% had high depression levels, and 51.2% had high post-traumatic stress levels. The inadequate organizational support was determined as a predictor of anxiety and of depression. For each one point increase in working hours per week, there was a 1 % increase in depression. Two predictors of post-traumatic stress were the unit where nurses worked and having had colleagues diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusions: This study found that during the COVID-19 pandemic nurses had high levels of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress. It was concluded that the most striking predictors affecting nurses' mental health were number of weekly working hours and the level of received organizational support. The study contributes to the literature for planning psychosocial interventions that can be implemented to frontline nurses.

Reflections on ethics, care and online data collection during the pandemic: Researching the impacts of COVID-19 on migrants in Latin America

While most borders in Latin America were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the dynamics of mobility and immobility in the region did not stop. In this extreme context, there was a growing need to understand how the pandemic impacted migrant and refugee populations, as well as the long-lasting effects of measures implemented to mitigate its effects. With many migrants facing exacerbated conditions of vulnerability and with new working modalities affecting all members of society, especially those who were key respondents to protect migrants in the first year of the pandemic, key ethical questions emerged about how, when and where, should research be conducted. This paper reflects on the ethical challenges we faced - such as interviewees' research fatigue, negotiation of access, researcher's positionality and the strategies to create rapport - and the methodological decisions we made in the context of a regional project (CAMINAR) that conducted online interviews with governmental and non-governmental actors working with migrants between June and August 2020. © 2023 Transnational Press London Ltd. All rights reserved.

Retracted Covid-19 articles: significantly more cited than other articles within their journal of origin.

With the expansion of research volume, coinciding with the age of the internet, the retraction of published papers from scientific journals has become crucial to preserving scientific integrity. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, both public and professional interest in scientific literature has grown as people attempt to educate themselves on the virus. The Retraction Watch Database COVID-19 blog was accessed in June and November of 2022 and analyzed to ensure articles met inclusion criteria. Articles were then accessed on Google Scholar and the Scopus database to find number of citations and SJR/CiteScore. The average SJR and CiteScore for a journal that published one of the articles was 1.531 and 7.3 respectively. The retracted articles were cited an average of 44.8 times, which was significantly higher than the average CiteScore (p = 0.01). Between June and November, retracted COVID-19 articles gained a total of 728 new citations, presence of "withdrawn" or "retracted" before article title did not affect citation rates. COPE guidelines for retraction statements were not met for 32% of articles. We believe retracted COVID-19 publications may have been more likely to include bold claims that garnered a disproportionately high amount of attention within the scientific community. Additionally, we found many journals were not forthright with explanations for why articles had been retracted. Retractions could be a tool used to add to the scientific discourse, but currently we are only getting half the data, the what and not the why.

Fairness and COVID: Conducting research during the crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced Principal Investigators (PIs) to make rapid and unprecedented decisions about ongoing research projects and research teams. Confronted with vague or shifting guidance from institutional administrators and public health officials, PIs nonetheless had to decide whether their projects were "essential," who could conduct on-site "essential" research, how to continue research activities by remote means if possible, and how to safely and effectively manage personnel during the crisis. Based on both narrative comments from a federally sponsored survey of over a thousand NIH- and NSF-funded PIs and their personnel, as well as follow-up interviews with over 60 survey participants, this study examines various ways PI and institutional decisions raised issues of procedural and distributive fairness. These fairness issues include the challenge of treating research personnel fairly in light of their disparate personal circumstances and inconsistent enforcement of COVID-19-related directives. Our findings highlight aspects of fairness and equitability that all PIs and research administrators should keep in mind for when future research disruptions occur.

Lessons learned from the Last Gift study: ethical and practical challenges faced while conducting HIV cure-related research at the end of life.

The Last Gift is an observational HIV cure-related research study conducted with people with HIV at the end of life (EOL) at the University of California San Diego. Participants agree to voluntarily donate blood and other biospecimens while living and their bodies for a rapid research autopsy postmortem to better understand HIV reservoir dynamics throughout the entire body. The Last Gift study was initiated in 2017. Since then, 30 volunteers were enrolled who are either (1) terminally ill with a concomitant condition and have a prognosis of 6 months or less or (2) chronically ill with multiple comorbidities and nearing the EOL.Multiple ethical and logistical challenges have been revealed during this time; here, we share our lessons learnt and ethical analysis. Issues relevant to healthcare research include surrogate informed consent, personal and professional boundaries, challenges posed conducting research in a pandemic, and clinician burnout and emotional support. Issues more specific to EOL and postmortem research include dual roles of clinical care and research teams, communication between research personnel and clinical teams, legally required versus rapid research autopsy, identification of next of kin/loved ones and issues of inclusion. Issues specific to the Last Gift include logistics of body donation and rapid research autopsy, and disposition of the body as a study benefit.We recommend EOL research teams to have clear provisions around surrogate informed consent, rotate personnel to maintain boundaries, limit direct contact with staff associated with clinical care and have a clear plan for legally required versus research autopsies, among other recommendations.

Leveraging the Power of Online Qualitative Inquiry in Mixed Methods Research: Novel Prospects and Challenges Amidst COVID-19

The rare circumstances of COVID-19 have transformed research toward increased dependence on online spaces. This article examines related challenges and opportunities, focusing on how philosophical and ethical implications are differentially manifest amid crisis. Anchored by a transformative perspective, our framework recognizes heightened vulnerabilities amid COVID-19;it seeks dexterous strategies for implementing qualitative strands that adapt well to a virtual context while remaining philosophically grounded and ethical. Our findings highlight issues of unequal access, disembodiment, safety and vulnerability, researcher positionality, anonymity, and the delineation between private and public spaces;we also showcase an array of virtual qualitative methods. We conclude that ethical practice in the use of online methods is likely to be broadly applicable and adaptable to the mixed methods research community.

Equitable North-South partnerships for ethical and policy relevant research in times of uncertainty: a collaborative autoethnography from Ethiopia

This paper considers the contribution of North-South partnerships in conducting ethical and policy-relevant research in times of uncertainty. Using collaborative autoethnography, we critically reflect on our experience conducting two related research projects in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 pandemic. We discuss how our research has adapted to take account of changing policy priorities in response to the crisis, how we implemented careful research practices, and which strategies we adopted to ensure providing timely and quality evidence for the governments, schools and parents. Importantly, we reflect on how our North-South partnerships and our close engagement with the Ethiopian government play a pivotal role in overcoming the uncertainty caused by the pandemic and adapting our research to meet the needs of key stakeholders. Grounded in our reflections, we provide a set of guidelines to establish equitable research partnerships in times of uncertainty. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.

Exploring Inequities in Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Youth-Led Study in Ontario, Canada

Background: COVID-19 posed a significant threat to adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and rights (ASRHR), with disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged groups. However, existing research has not centered adolescents' experiences or expertise. Youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) is a collaborative approach to research that recognizes young people as experts to generate knowledge, empower youth, and catalyze action to improve their health. The objective of this study was to support three teams of youth researchers in developing and implementing their own research projects examining the impact of COVID-19 on an ASRHR issue of their choosing, using YPAR methodology. Method(s): Purposive sampling was used to recruit four teams of female-identified youth researchers (ages 16-19 years) in three high-priority regions of Ontario, Canada. Interested youth were interviewed to gauge motivation, relevant intersectional experiences, interest in collaborating, and sense of service to their communities. Selected youth completed a five-day virtual training covering critical thinking, ASRHR, qualitative/quantitative data collection and analysis, research ethics, and project logistics. Each youth team was paired with two adult research mentors and engaged in a four step YPAR process depicted in Figure 1. Youth researchers received compensation for their work and were included as study collaborators. This study was approved by IRB. Result(s): Team 1 identified barriers to having SRH needs met during COVID-19 for assigned females 13-21 yrs old in London, Ontario, using survey methodology. They found that among 58 assigned-female youth, 50% reported difficulties accessing sexual health-related treatment during COVID-19. Team 2 sought to understand how the intersectional identities of youth in Hamilton and Niagara Falls regions influenced experiences of sex education, using in-depth interviews. Key themes were the need to recognize diversity, that the relevance of sex ed changes as adolescence progresses, and that sex ed should focus on positive sexuality. Team 3 identified factors that influenced access to SRH products for teens in Northern Ontario using a survey of 114 adolescents. They found 32% of respondents experienced barriers to buying sexual health products locally, including stigma, cost, distance, disability, and 2SLGBTQIA+ identity. See https://www.shareproject.ca Conclusion(s): This study amplified youth voices through a social justice-framed approach to examining ASRHR during the COVID-19 pandemic. Centering the perspectives, values and experiences of youth introduced the potential to positively impact the youth researchers themselves, while yielding results that were relevant, meaningful, adolescent-responsive and culturally-informed. Supporting Figures or Tables https://www.abstractscorecard.com/uploads/Tasks/upload/19245/RGXGDRUQ-1380706-1-ANY.docxCopyright © 2023

Considerations for conducting online focus groups on sensitive topics

ABSTRACT In response to concerns about the use of online focus groups, particularly around sensitive topics research, we provide two case examples of sensitive topics research that pivoted to online focus groups amid university ethics restrictions due to COVID-19 concerns. We begin by contextualizing the studies, one of which used the more traditional focus group method while the other employed a mix of focus groups and a variation on the World Cafe method, termed Community Cafes. We discuss issues like online platform choice (Microsoft Teams versus Zoom), security, and considerations for effective participant communication and connection. We demonstrate the effectiveness of online focus group data collection for sensitive research in two disciplines as well as the benefits to participants. We conclude by providing considerations and recommendations based on our own learnings for researchers wanting to conduct online focus group research on sensitive topics. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Planning for the Next Pandemic: Ethics and Innovation Today for Improved Clinical Trials Tomorrow.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought public attention to the steps required to produce valid scientific clinical research in drug development. Traditional ethical principles that guide clinical research remain the guiding compass for physicians, patients, public health officials, investigators, drug developers and the public. Accelerating the process of delivering safe and effective treatments and vaccines against COVID-19 is a moral imperative. The apparent clash between the regulated system of phased randomized clinical trials and urgent public health need requires leveraging innovation with ethical scientific rigor. We reflect on the Belmont principles of autonomy, beneficence and justice as the pandemic unfolds, and illustrate the role of innovative clinical trial designs in alleviating pandemic challenges. Our discussion highlights selected types of innovative trial design and correlates them with ethical parameters and public health benefits. Details are provided for platform trials and other innovative designs such as basket and umbrella trials, designs leveraging external data sources, multi-stage seamless trials, preplanned control arm data sharing between larger trials, and higher order systems of linked trials coordinated more broadly between individual trials and phases of development, recently introduced conceptually as "PIPELINEs."

Web-Based Co-design in Health Care: Considerations for Renewed Participation.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted the work environment to a new reality of remote work and virtual collaboration. This shift has occurred in various work settings with an impact on spaces, approaches, applied techniques, and tools. This has resulted in the broad use of virtual tools in the health care sector to avoid physical encounters and in-person interactions that will likely outlast the COVID-19 pandemic. Developing effective virtual approaches requires the knowledge and skills of using digital technologies collaboratively combined with a deep understanding of the context or contexts in which these approaches may be used. The implementation of virtual health design methods, including web-based co-design, has increased to meet the realities of COVID-19 restrictions and is likely to outlast them. Adapting the use of co-design methodologies to a virtual configuration requires rethinking methods of collaboration and communication, adapting to virtual environments, and creating new methods of engagement and facilitation. With this viewpoint, we reviewed the current work on co-design (in person and web based) to propose techniques for the design, planning, and implementation of web-based co-design. We propose 7 considerations that may enable web-based co-design projects in the health care sector. The key considerations that affect the success of a web-based co-design approach should be considered in the process of planning, developing, and conducting web-based co-design sessions. These include facilitation, collaboration, accessibility and equity, communication, sensemaking, tangible tools and games, and web-based research ethics. We illustrate this work with a case study of co-design for an emergency department discharge tool developed during the pandemic.

Key ethical issues encountered during COVID-19 research: a thematic analysis of perspectives from South African research ethics committees.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic presents significant challenges to research ethics committees (RECs) in balancing urgency of review of COVID-19 research with careful consideration of risks and benefits. In the African context, RECs are further challenged by historical mistrust of research and potential impacts on COVID-19 related research participation, as well as the need to facilitate equitable access to effective treatments or vaccines for COVID-19. In South Africa, an absent National Health Research Ethics Council (NHREC) also left RECs without national guidance for a significant duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a qualitative descriptive study that explored the perspectives and experiences of RECs regarding the ethical challenges of COVID-19 research in South Africa. METHODS: We conducted in-depth interviews with 21 REC chairpersons or members from seven RECs at large academic health institutions across South Africa that were actively involved in the review of COVID-19 related research from January to April 2021. In-depth interviews were conducted remotely via Zoom. Interviews (60-125 min) were conducted in English using an in-depth interview guide, until data saturation was achieved. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and field notes were converted into data documents. Line-by-line coding of transcripts was performed, and data were organised into themes and sub-themes. An inductive approach to thematic analysis was used to analyse data. RESULTS: Five main themes were identified, namely: rapidly evolving research ethics landscape, extreme vulnerability of research participants, unique challenges to informed consent, challenges to community engagement during COVID-19, and overlapping research ethics and public health equity issues. Sub-themes were identified for each main theme. CONCLUSIONS: Numerous, significant ethical complexities and challenges were identified by South African REC members in the review of COVID-19 related research. While RECs are resilient and adaptable, reviewer and REC member fatigue were major concerns. The numerous ethical issues identified also highlight the need for research ethics teaching and training, especially in informed consent, as well as the urgent requirement for the development of national guidelines for research ethics during public health emergencies. Further, comparative analysis between different countries is needed to develop the discourse around African RECs and COVID-19 research ethics issues.

Research Ethics during Pandemics: How IRBs Can Prepare.

The Covid-19 pandemic has raised a range of complex challenges for the research community in the United States. This essay uses Covid-19 as a model pandemic illness to consider two such issues that have yet to be fully explored in the ethics literature: first, whether the informed consent process should include a discussion of pandemic risks and, if so, how precisely these risks should be conveyed to potential research participants and, second, whether and under what circumstances vaccination status should be taken into consideration when enrolling subjects in non-pandemic-related studies during a pandemic.