Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26621526›Full record

ArticleHealth research policy and systems2015

Mobilising the alumni of a Master of Public Health degree to build research and development capacity in low- and middle-income settings: The Peoples-uni.

Richard F Heller, Pasipanodya I Machingura, Baba M Musa, Paramita Sengupta, Puja Myles

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Health research policy and systems, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Richard F HellerPeople's Open Access Education Initiative (Peoples-uni), Eccles, Manchester, United Kingdom. rfheller@peoples-uni.org.
Pasipanodya I MachinguraCollege of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe. imachingura@yahoo.co.uk.
Baba M MusaDepartment of Medicine, Bayero University, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria. babamaiyaki2000@yahoo.co.uk.
Paramita SenguptaChristian Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana, India. drparamita2425@gmail.com.
Puja MylesFaculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom. puja.myles@nottingham.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeoples-uni (People's Open Access Education Initiative) was established to help build Public Health capacity in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) through postgraduate level online courses. Graduates are invited to join a virtual alumni group. We report the results of efforts to meet the need for health research capacity building by exploring how the course alumni could be mobilised to perform collaborative research into the health problems of their populations.

methodsTwo online surveys of Peoples-uni graduates were conducted with graduates from the first two and first four cohorts in 2013 and 2014, respectively, to explore the formation of an alumni group that would collaborate to further the research and development agenda in LMICs. This was followed by feedback on research-related activity and outcomes via the online alumni and tutors' forum to estimate early indicators of alumni success in relation to capacity building in both the conduct and utilisation of research.

resultsResponses were received from 26 (87% response rate) graduates of the first survey and 42 (60% response rate) of the second survey. Overall, 92% of the respondents to the first survey supported the creation of an alumni group, especially if it helped to develop their own research skills and improve the health of their populations. Findings from the second survey showed that study with Peoples-uni was felt to have had a major or potential impact on the careers of the respondents, with 19% of graduates having progressed to a PhD programme to further their research skills, and a further 48% being in the process of applying or intending to apply for doctoral studies. Further feedback shows that at least one collaborative study has been completed and published by alumni members with other collaborative studies planned. Ongoing support has been provided to graduates to help them publish their work and apply for individual or collaborative research grants.

conclusionsHarnessing the alumni of a Masters level course to perform collaborative research has considerable potential to build research capacity in LMICs.

Indexed as

Biomedical ResearchCapacity BuildingCooperative BehaviorDeveloping CountriesOrganizationsPublic HealthAttitude of Health PersonnelEducation, GraduateHumansIncomeResearchSurveys and Questionnaires

Identifiers

PMID26621526
PMCPMC4665818

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.