Welcome to the Global Health Research Process Map, the first digital toolkit designed to enable researchers anywhere in the world to initiate rigorous global health research studies. The aim is to provide step-by-step guidance for each stage that needs to be considered when planning a new study. By providing an overview of what needs to be done, and then providing tools, resources, guidance and support for each task, this resource should speed up the study set up process and help you run a robust and high quality study.
How should I use the Process Map?
The Global Health Research Process Map is a fully interactive tool that provides pragmatic, globally applicable advice. To use it, simply click on each step to view expert guidance on how to complete that task. You can also click on ‘resources’ to view eLearning courses and guidance articles relevant to that process, and ‘comments’ for peer discussions on the same topic. You can also use the ‘comments’ section to add your own experiences and comments; simply click on the first discussion, and add your own comments. Please do add something here, whether you found the step easy or difficult perhaps, or share how you approached this issue. Other people would really benefit from your experience and if you have a question or are not sure about what to do, then also ask here. Everyone can gain from these contributions
You can also download the map, or print out the information relating to a step so that you can read it offline.
Why was the Process Map Developed?
The steps and processes required in setting up a study are fairly similar, irrespective of whether it is a clinical trial with and intervention or a more straightforward sampling only study. There is also not much variation between the steps between different disease areas. Therefore the steps of the process map are current determined by the standard process that all research is governed by, in particular matching the requirements of ICH-GCP. The steps here are intended to work for all types of study and be highly pragmatic. This map is not set and this is the first version that is being released, and it is certainly by no means perfected, nor is it intended to be. The map now needs use and comment by you, The Global Health Network community to refine and develop it to be even more useful. Feedback will be sought and over the initial few months and there will also be a formal feedback review process and through this the steps will be adjusted. The map has two aims, to guide study set up by sign posting the major steps and then as a mechanism for you to quickly find the resources, tools and training that you are looking for that are located within the various areas of The Global Health Network. The Global Health Network is over four years old now and therefore there is a comprehensive wealth of templates, tools, guidance articles and training courses. This process map sorts this content by each step in the study set up process and therefore enables you to quickly access what you need.
What sort of research is the process map suitable for?
The Process Map and all the content that is directs you to has been gathered and collected in collaboration with researchers in low-resource settings. All the guidance aims to be pragmatic and can be applied and adapted for all types of study in all disease areas. The map also provides information specific to clinical trials, and therefore your research project is is an observational study or sampling only then the steps specific to trials (such as intervention and randomisation) can be ignored. You are very welcome to use the discussions function if you’d like specific advice relating to your study; all the discussion boards are overseen by expert panels, so you can trust the information your receive.
Acknowledgements:
The Global Health Network Community – providing the shared documents, tools and guidance articles that the process map directs you too
Sam Franzen - designed the initial process map that was located within Global Health Trials
Tayo Bodede – professional clinical trials writer
Trudie Lang – Editor
Francois van Loggerenberg – Process Map Information Expert Committee
Nicola McHugh – Process Map Information Expert Committee
Loren Becker – Process Map Information Expert Committee for Regulatory Advice
Tricia Aung – Process Map Information Expert Committee for Regulatory Advice