A Scoping Review of Reporting 'Ethical Research Practices' in Research Conducted Among Refugees and War-affected Populations in the Arab World

Overview

Journal BMC Med Ethics

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Medical Ethics

Date 2018 May 17

PMID 29764456

Citations 5

Authors

Jihad Makhoul

Rana F Chehab

Zahraa Shaito

Abla M Sibai

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Ethical research conduct is a cornerstone of research practice particularly when research participants include vulnerable populations. This study mapped the extent of reporting ethical research practices in studies conducted among refugees and war-affected populations in the Arab World, and assessed variations by time, country of study, and study characteristics.

Methods: An electronic search of eight databases resulted in 5668 unique records published between 2000 and 2013. Scoping review yielded 164 eligible articles for analyses.

Results: Ethical research practices, including obtaining institutional approval, access to the community/research site, and informed consent/assent from the research participants, were reported in 48.2, 54.9, and 53.7% of the publications, respectively. Institutional approval was significantly more likely to be reported when the research was biomedical in nature compared to public health and social (91.7% vs. 54.4 and 32.4%), when the study employed quantitative compared to qualitative or mixed methodologies (61.7% vs. 26.8 and 42.9%), and when the journal required a statement on ethical declarations (57.4% vs. 27.1%). Institutional approval was least likely to be reported in papers that were sole-authored (9.5%), when these did not mention a funding source (29.6%), or when published in national journals (0%). Similar results were obtained for access to the community site and for seeking informed consent/assent from study participants.

Conclusions: The responsibility of inadequacies in adherence to ethical research conduct in crisis settings is born by a multitude of stakeholders including funding agencies, institutional research boards, researchers and international relief organizations involved in research, as well as journal editors, all of whom need to play a more proactive role for enhancing the practice of ethical research conduct in conflict settings.

Citing Articles

Behind the scenes of research ethics committee oversight: a qualitative research study with committee chairs in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Ashkar C, Nakkash R, Matar A, Makhoul J BMC Med Ethics. 2024; 25(1):86.

PMID: 39118102 PMC: 11308332. DOI: 10.1186/s12910-024-01083-3.

"I'm Going to Tell You Something I Never Told Anyone": Ethics- and Trauma-Informed Challenges of Implementing a Research Protocol with Syrian Refugees.

Matos L, Indart M, Park C, Leal I Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023; 20(2).

PMID: 36674012 PMC: 9859552. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021261.

Reducing burden from respiratory infections in refugees and immigrants: a systematic review of interventions in OECD, EU, EEA and EU-applicant countries.

Lambert J, Stete K, Balmford J, Bockey A, Kern W, Rieg S BMC Infect Dis. 2021; 21(1):872.

PMID: 34445957 PMC: 8390210. DOI: 10.1186/s12879-021-06474-0.

Non-communicable diseases research output in the Eastern Mediterranean region: an overview of systematic reviews.

Akkawi A, Khabsa J, Noubani A, Jamali S, Sibai A, Lotfi T BMC Med Res Methodol. 2020; 20(1):68.

PMID: 32192439 PMC: 7082905. DOI: 10.1186/s12874-020-00924-0.

Review of Non-Communicable Disease Research Activity in Kuwait: Where is the Evidence for the Best Practice?.

Badr H, Maktabi M, Al-Kandari M, Sibai A Ann Glob Health. 2019; 85(1).

PMID: 30924616 PMC: 6634600. DOI: 10.5334/aogh.2392.

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