Global Impact Lab: Frequently Asked Questions
Why is research important?
There is a dearth of empirical research regarding eye care services in the developing world. Pursuing research enables you to contribute important knowledge to the global health and global eye care communities. Conducting research will also allow you to inform the local eye clinic regarding the patient demographic, barriers to care, and cultural beliefs about eye care. Research is the basis for action and improvement, and past research has enabled us to develop new educational interventions and other programs to further eliminate patient barriers to care.
What is my first step?
Your first step, if not already complete, is to apply to become a Global Impact Fellow. After you apply for the program, and after you are accepted and confirm participation, you should contact us. You will work with our Global Impact Lab Coordinator to identify the research topic that you would like to pursue. In order to find a topic, please browse our list of suggested research topics here: http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad/entrepreneurial-volunteering/module6 and look over other studies in community eye health here: http://www.uniteforsight.org/global-impact-lab/community-eye-health-research. While you are deciding on a topic and conducting a literature review, you should also work to obtain a faculty advisor and contact the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to inquire about the timeline for research approval.
How do I find a Faculty Advisor and who should he/she be?
You faculty advisor is generally a professor or researcher affiliated with your institution or university. He/she may be a public health professor, ophthalmologist, optometrist, or another advisor with relevant expertise. The most important characteristic of a faculty mentor is that he/she is experienced in the process of conducting research. This is crucial, as your advisor will guide you through the development of your research methodology and help you to construct and submit your IRB proposal. It is helpful for the advisors to be in the medical/public health field, and it is not necessary for the advisor to be in the eye care field, unless an ophthalmologist or optometrist would be the best advisor for your research topic.
What is the Institutional Review Board (IRB)?
An institutional review board (IRB), also known as an independent ethics committee (IEC) or ethical review board (ERB) is a committee that has been formally designated to approve, monitor, and review biomedical and behavioral research involving humans with the aim to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects. You must obtain approval from the IRB in order to conduct research on human subjects abroad. IRB approval is not immediate and, depending on your university’s IRB committee schedule, approval can take several months. Thus, it is important to contact your IRB and inquire about the timeline for approval before you begin to work on your study.
What does a research proposal look like?
A research proposal is a formal document (similar to the proposal you will submit to the IRB) that outlines the motivations for your research as well as the sample size, study population, methodology, procedure for data analysis, and potential implications. A full list of the elements that should be included in the research proposal can be found here: http://www.des.emory.edu/mfp/proposal.html For more on research methodology please read through this course: http://www.uniteforsight.org/research-methodology/
How do I navigate language barriers?
In most of the locations in which you may be pursuing research, language barriers will create challenges for conducting research and obtaining high-quality data. Furthermore, many individuals will not be literate, preventing you from using written surveys. You will have access to translators, but they will not be professionally trained and most will be members of the clinic who voluntarily assist you in your project. This means that you must be patient and flexible while waiting for interpreters. We advise that you bring a tape recorder to record questions in the native language. Using a tape recorder will standardize your methodology and ensure the validity of your study results.
What is the timeline for preparing for research abroad?
Developing your own original research project takes time, and you will need at least 2-3 months to prepare fully. It is possible to prepare a research study in less time, but this is not advised. Thus, it is important to stay on top of the process, as there are time-sensitive requirements. Contact your university's IRB to find out how long the approval process will take. Keep in mind that the IRB may ask you to amend or edit your proposal, which may add time. Also, deciding on a topic may be time consuming. You may wish to obtain feedback from your advisor and the staff at Unite For Sight. Furthermore, conducting a literature review will take time as you will likely need to read through many articles and research abstracts. Lastly, writing your research proposal will be an involved process with many revisions. We ask that you submit a draft of your proposal to Unite For Sight so that we can provide feedback and send it to the eye clinic for further input.
Will I be able to conduct research in such a short time frame?
We have had volunteers in the past who have conducted research for a 10-day duration. While a longer time period is ideal, it is possible to conduct a simple, small scale or pilot study during this time frame. If you are interested in pursuing research for 10 days, contact Tara Bryant at tbryant@uniteforsight.org to find out what types of studies would be feasible. If you will be abroad for 1 month or more, you will have time to pursue more in-depth research. Additionally, partnering with other volunteers who will be in your location can allow you to collect more results. If you work with other volunteers, you would all need to be equally involved in the research design and development phase, submit the proposal for review by an IRB with both of your names, and then pursue the study together at the partner eye clinic abroad. You may find a list of co-participating volunteers on the side of your volunteer login webpage.
Will research prevent me from helping at the clinic/participating in outreaches?
This depends on the type of research that you pursue. If you choose to pursue a survey-based research topic in the villages, you would be pursuing your study during the outreaches. While the local eye doctors and other Global Impact Fellows would be providing and assisting with eye care delivery, you would focus primarily on your research study. The survey-based research studies in villages usually involve the researcher setting up a station at the outreach, and patients then rotate through. If you decide to conduct a clinical study or clinic-based study, your time will mostly be spent in the eye clinic with the local ophthalmologist. Thus, you will not have much exposure to the community outreach setting. However, you may be able to take a day or two break from the study to go on outreaches.
What types of research topics are feasible? What are important factors to consider when deciding on research topic?
The answer to this question depends on the location where you will be pursuing research as well as the time frame that you have. In general, studies requiring thousands of subjects (such as prevalence studies) are not feasible in a short time frame. In addition, it is important to keep in mind the local population. A list of suggested and relevant topics for each program location are listed here: http://www.uniteforsight.org/volunteer-abroad/entrepreneurial-volunteering/module6
Will pursuing research cost money? Who will pay?
Depending on your particular study, a marginal amount of money may be required. If your study requires a video camera or tape recorder, you may need to obtain these materials. In addition, if you are conducting surveys, it may cost money to make paper copies. However, financial concerns should not deter you from pursuing research. While Unite for Sight does not provide funding for research, your university may be more inclined to provide grants for research activities. We suggest that you contact your institution to inquire about funding opportunities.
Will I be published as a result of my research?
Many of our Fellows publish in peer-reviewed journals and give presentations at conferences. In order to be published, you must submit a written manuscript of your research findings to a journal. The editors and peer reviewers will review your research and either accept or reject your manuscript for publication, or request edits. You must submit your manuscript to one journal at a time—it may not be under review at multiple academic journals.
Can I get academic credit for this research?
The option to receive academic credit for your research is determined by your university. Oftentimes, students use their research for their thesis requirement or honors project. To find out if this is possible, we suggest that you contact the appropriate department at your university.
How do I make sure that my research is relevant to the clinic and local population?
It is important that your research be relevant to the population and to the eye clinic. In order to assure this, we ask that you collaborate closely with Unite For Sight to find a topic and develop your research. We are constantly in contact with the eye clinics abroad, and we are able to receive feedback from them regarding research projects.
How do I achieve “informed consent” when patients cannot read or speak English?
Due to language and literacy barriers, you will be unable to achieve informed consent from research subjects by written signature. Thus, you will need to obtain verbal informed consent. You can either use an interpreter or a tape recorder to explain the study and ask for consent from potential participants.
What happens after I get back?
After you conduct your research and return home, it is up to you to decide when you would like to begin consolidating, cleaning, and analyzing your data. Unite for Sight and your faculty mentor can assist you in the data analysis, and it is helpful to have a working knowledge of statistics for this stage. If you wish to submit your study for publication, you will need to write up a formal manuscript. Unite For Sight does not require a written manuscript of your research findings or that you submit for publication. However, we do require that you keep us informed about your results, as these findings help to enhance eye care program delivery.