Researches & surveys - points to ponder

[Guest guest]

Dear FORUM,

This is a late reponse to carry forward some points from Dr. Prem's mail on

research surveys.

/message/5826

I entirely agree with Dr. Prem about the ‘need to research more and generate

more info on various aspects in order order to make better Public health

interventions’. The need to research surely exists.

Unfortunately the ‘guiding needs’ for most researches seem to be misplaced e.g.

the need to do a research to be able to complete a certain no. of papers for

publications and conferences so that it can be added to the resumes or so that

one can finish the PhD or

whatever in the given time etc.

Such a system detaches the researcher from the ‘actual needs of the people’. It

shifts the focus merely on doing a research for the sake of doing something.

Even then, some researches do benefit people/ communities… but either they are

those done by the few enthusiastic individuals who could still think of people

before themselves or by those researches which by default (not necessarily by

intention) end up

bringing out something useful.

“How do we strike a balance between 'academics, research' and 'public health

interventions?”

That is the big question and an important one. Guess the researchers need to

look inside and question themselves and their own researches… perhaps someone

can take up a research on this area itself.

Just to get some minds ticking… one possibility is that the researchers can try

to involve the ‘people / relevant community’ to identify their own needs and

then plan the research assumptions / topics in tandem with those needs.

Regards

Parvez Imam

e-mail: <drparvezimam@...>