ArticlePloS one2016
Building Global Capacity for Conducting Operational Research Using the SORT IT Model: Where and Who?
Article in PloS one, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 40 citations in OpenAlex.
- Strategic research leadership and research capacity enhancement in Ugandan universities: a systematic review.F1000Research · 2026Pooled it
- Strengthening research capacity: a systematic review of manuscript writing and publishing interventions for researchers in low-income and middle-income countries.BMJ global health · 2022Pooled it
- Operational research leading to state-level policy change in tuberculosis undernutrition in Chhattisgarh, India.Public health action · 2026Article
- Using operational research as a tool to improve eye health services and systems in low-and middle-income settings: lessons from India and Nepal.BMC medical education · 2025Article
- Health research mentorship in low-income and middle-income countries: a global qualitative evidence synthesis of data from a crowdsourcing open call and scoping review.BMJ global health · 2024Article
- Capacity building in operational research on obstetric fistula: Experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo, 2017-2021.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2023Article
- Article
- Operational research to strengthen evidence-based interventions to tackle antimicrobial resistance in the Region of the Americas.Revista panamericana de salud publica = Pan American journal of public health · 2023Article
- Building a 'Virtual Library': continuing a global collaboration to strengthen research capacity within Nepal and other low- and middle-income countries.Global health action · 2022Article
- Strengthening capacity-building in malaria and schistosomiasis control under China-Africa cooperation: Assessing a case study of Burkina Faso.Science in One Health · 2022Article
- Leveraging WHO's Global Benchmarking Tool to strengthen capacity in clinical trials oversight for public health emergencies: the GHPP VaccTrain model.Globalization and health · 2022Article
- Funders' Perspectives on Supporting Implementation Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.Global health, science and practice · 2022Article
- The Pivotal Role of Quality Technical Structures for Clinical Trials Oversight in the Achievement of Long-Term Capacity Strengthening Outcomes.Frontiers in medicine · 2022Article
- Research capacity training for surveillance and response in the Indo-Pacific: a case study of implementation.Public health action · 2021Article
- Characteristics, utilisation and influence of viewpoint articles from the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) - 2009-2020.F1000Research · 2021Article
- The chunampet community health information management system: A health and demographic surveillance system from a rural South India.Journal of education and health promotion · 2021Article
- A qualitative evaluation of an operational research course for acute care trainees in Kigali, Rwanda.The Pan African medical journal · 2021Article
- Incorporating operational research in programmes funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in four sub-Saharan African countries.Globalization and health · 2020Article
- Capacity building for implementation research: a methodology for advancing health research and practice.Health research policy and systems · 2020Article
- From the Frontline: Strengthening Surveillance and Response Capacities of the Rural Workforce in the Asia-Pacific Region. How Can Grass-Roots Implementation Research Help?Frontiers in public health · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
12 authors at 6 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
Abstract
settingResearch capacity is weakest in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) where operational research is highly relevant and needed. Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative (SORT IT) courses have been developed to train participants to conduct and publish operational research and influence policy and practice. Twenty courses were completed in Asia, Africa, Europe and the South Pacific between 2009 and 2014.
objectivesIn the 20 completed SORT IT courses, to assess where the research was conducted, who was trained, who became facilitators in subsequent courses and course outcomes.
designA cohort study of completed SORT IT courses.
resultsThere were 236 participants (41% female) including 64 nationalities who conducted research in 59 countries, mostly from Asia and Africa (mean course duration = 9.7 months). Most participants (68%) were from government health programs and non-governmental agencies. A total of 213(90%) participants completed all milestones successfully with 41(19%) becoming subsequent course facilitators, 88% of whom were from LMICs. Of 228 manuscripts submitted to scientific journals, 197(86%) were either published or in press; in 86%, the principal investigator (first author) was a LMIC national. Papers were published in 23 scientific journals (impact factor 0.5-4.4) and covered 21 disease categories (median publication time = 5.7 months). Published papers (186) had 94,794 cumulative article views/downloads. Article views/downloads for immediate open access articles were double those from closed access journals.
conclusionThe SORT IT model has been effective in training personnel to produce relevant operational research in LMICs. It merits continued commitment and support for further scale-up and development.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.