Article type
Abstract
"Background:
Decolonisation of research includes e nsuring that findings from systematic reviews have relevance in local contexts. This can be operationalised by repositioning the lens through which research findings are viewed by including relevant perspectives of diverse populations. Engagement with theory from the Global South can facilitate moves towards decolonisation. Broadening critical and theoretical positions through engagement with local ways of seeing and understanding health can mitigate power imbalances and inherent biases. Applying multiple theoretical perspectives, including Southern views and theories, can help to identify relevance of review findings for different local contexts and to identify appropriate interventions.
Objectives:
To explore how applying Southern theoretical perspectives, ways of seeing and understanding from the perspective of Global South populations, could be employed to interpret the relevance of findings from reviews and thus support the move towards decolonisation.
Methods:
We apply Southern theoretical perspectives on a case study overview of reviews on factors that influence contraception choice and use globally. The overview was conducted in the Global North using standard overview procedures. We re-examine the findings using insights from a) stakeholders with local contextual knowledge from the Indian subcontinent and b) ‘Ubuntu’ a theoretical perspective from the African continent, to illustrate how reviewers might view the relevance of the evidence differently in these local contexts.
Conclusions:
Systematic review teams should routinely deliberate the potential for a skewed understanding of the findings of reviews. They must recognise that the impact and uptake of interventions might be negatively affected by applying a purely Global North perspective. Exploring Southern perspectives to guide understanding of findings and focusing on relevance in the local context could further improve understanding of marginalised ethnic groups. Review teams should consider providing global sensitivity statements in their summary of findings table to moderate the potential for Global North bias in research and to reduce the chances of misrepresentation and relevance of outcomes for Global South populations.
Relevance:
Using theoretical perspectives from the Global South to interpret review findings can support more appropriate implementation of review findings and better patient care in diverse contexts.
"
Decolonisation of research includes e nsuring that findings from systematic reviews have relevance in local contexts. This can be operationalised by repositioning the lens through which research findings are viewed by including relevant perspectives of diverse populations. Engagement with theory from the Global South can facilitate moves towards decolonisation. Broadening critical and theoretical positions through engagement with local ways of seeing and understanding health can mitigate power imbalances and inherent biases. Applying multiple theoretical perspectives, including Southern views and theories, can help to identify relevance of review findings for different local contexts and to identify appropriate interventions.
Objectives:
To explore how applying Southern theoretical perspectives, ways of seeing and understanding from the perspective of Global South populations, could be employed to interpret the relevance of findings from reviews and thus support the move towards decolonisation.
Methods:
We apply Southern theoretical perspectives on a case study overview of reviews on factors that influence contraception choice and use globally. The overview was conducted in the Global North using standard overview procedures. We re-examine the findings using insights from a) stakeholders with local contextual knowledge from the Indian subcontinent and b) ‘Ubuntu’ a theoretical perspective from the African continent, to illustrate how reviewers might view the relevance of the evidence differently in these local contexts.
Conclusions:
Systematic review teams should routinely deliberate the potential for a skewed understanding of the findings of reviews. They must recognise that the impact and uptake of interventions might be negatively affected by applying a purely Global North perspective. Exploring Southern perspectives to guide understanding of findings and focusing on relevance in the local context could further improve understanding of marginalised ethnic groups. Review teams should consider providing global sensitivity statements in their summary of findings table to moderate the potential for Global North bias in research and to reduce the chances of misrepresentation and relevance of outcomes for Global South populations.
Relevance:
Using theoretical perspectives from the Global South to interpret review findings can support more appropriate implementation of review findings and better patient care in diverse contexts.
"