JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

As researchers and implementors begin to acknowledge the repercussions of institutionalized colonialism on community and individual health, the need to decolonize research has become clear. Despite this, there is no singular definition of decolonizing methodologies, nor an overview of the shared principles and characteristics of decolonized research needed to codify this work as common practice in global health. This scoping review will review decolonized research methods through the lens of sexual health, as a step in creating a shared understanding of best practice.

Objective:

The aim of this scoping review is to identify the shared characteristics of decolonized research methodologies. We will further examine the tools and methods used to collect and analyze data within the included studies.

Methods:

The protocol for this scoping review was developed using the framework from the Joanna Briggs Institute, and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR).The search strategy will comprise of a search of electronic databases (JSTOR, Embase, Emcare, Medline (Ovid), Global Health Database, Web of Science), grey literature sources, and key studies. Titles and abstracts will be reviewed by two or more independent reviewers against inclusion criteria. Bibliometric details, study design, methodology, community involvement, and other indicators will be collected using a data extraction tool developed for this review. Extracted data will be analyzed using descriptive statistics, and a qualitative analysis of content and themes.

Results:

Initial title/abstract review of 4967 studies identified by the search strategy was completed in November of 2022. 1777 studies met initial inclusion criteria, and were sent to a second round of title/abstract review which was completed in January of 2023. 706 studies were downloaded for full-text inclusion, which is expected to be completed by February 2023. We aim to complete data extraction and analysis by May of 2023, and expect to publish the findings by the end of July 2023.

Conclusions:

There remains a gap in the research on the meaning and application of decolonized research strategies, particularly within sexual and reproductive health. The findings of this study will contribute to a shared definition of decolonized methodologies, and how they can be applied as a common practice in global health research. The study will inform the design and implementation of future decolonized research and evaluation strategies, particularly around sexual and reproductive health.