JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Digital platforms play a vital role in improving the availability and access to health research outputs and enhancing the engagement of policymakers and practitioners in the research processes. Despite its potential, it needs to be explored how digital platforms are utilised to manage and share health research datasets and publications for translating research findings among health networks or institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Objective:

This study aimed to assess the practices of health research data management, including sharing among researchers and their support staff within three large Research Networks for Health Innovations in SSA funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). We specifically assessed the types of data shared, the methods of sharing, the timing of sharing, and the recipients of the data. Additionally, the study assessed how researchers disseminated research data for reuse by other researchers and how they shared research outputs to facilitate translation for informing policy practice.

Methods:

This cross-sectional study explored the experiences of sharing research data using digital platforms among researchers of three large research and innovation networks in SSA and affiliated institutions in the Global North. A total of 160 respondents filled in a self-administered online questionnaire using Google Forms. After data cleaning, the survey data was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics.

Results:

Most respondents (56.9%) used electronic data collection tools to collect research data. Almost half (49.4%) of the respondents have a digital research data management platform. More than half of the respondents shared their research datasets (63.8%) and (61.3%) shared research findings with the research community through different channels, respectively. Furthermore, most respondents shared their research datasets and research outputs through institutional data repositories (26.1%), scientific conferences (76.9%) and journal articles (68.8%). The study identified parameters such as sex, professional category (health professional, ICT and data managers) and the role (researcher or student) influencing health research data sharing within the community. According to Cramer’s V test, the results show that the roles of the individual have the strongest association with the sharing research dataset, followed by years of experience in research, then sex and profession. Additionally, the logistic regression shows that the probability of females were less likely to share their research datasets compared to males. Data managers and ICT exchanged datasets less frequently in the professional group, and the researcher’s role was statistically significant in sharing research datasets.

Conclusions:

This study demonstrates that most researchers share research datasets and outputs through various channels. It was further found that digital platforms were essential in managing and sharing research datasets and publications since more than half (53.0%) of the respondents have and use digital platforms. In addition, the study identified factors that influenced researchers' practices of sharing research datasets and publications. Clinical Trial: Not applicable.