World Pulse's community-led Research and Evaluation Group will foster ethical research practices

As part of our commitment to safeguarding the World Pulse community, World Pulse officially launched a new Research and Evaluation Group (REG) in August. This community-led body holds World Pulse and external researchers accountable for conducting ethical and meaningful research inline with World Pulse’s community-sourced Ethical Guidelines for Research and Evaluation.

The formation and launch of the Research and Evaluation Group is the culmination of a multiyear process to gather input from the World Pulse community and develop comprehensive principles for how we approach research and evaluation. The multi-stakeholder body is composed of nine members of World Pulse’s online community, with a majority of leaders based in the Global South. This includes members of World Pulse’s Powershift Inclusive Excellence (PIE) Committee and additional appointed World Pulse community members who bring research and evaluation expertise, community knowledge, and relevant interests and lived experiences.

The committee members are Harriet Afandi of Kenya, E. J. Alawode of Nigeria (based in Spain), Sherna Alexander Benjamin of Trinidad and Tobago (based in the United States), Elizabeth Francis of Trinidad and Tobago, Chinyere Kalu of Nigeria, Jackline Brenda Lanyero of Uganda, Busayo Obisakin of Nigeria, Rasika Sundaram of India, and Tamarack Verrall of Canada.

The group will meet monthly to review research proposals that involve World Pulse member participation; receive and request updates on research conducted within the community; and participate in research relevant to community interests.

Why is a community-based research evaluation group needed at World Pulse?

As part of our work, World Pulse collects data about the World Pulse community for reports like our annual impact reviews and in our annual planning feedback cycles. World Pulse occasionally runs campaigns to crowdsource the wisdom and knowledge of the community to inform the international development sector on women’s views and opinions on issues like Peace and Security; Technology; and the Covid-19 pandemic. Sometimes, external researchers contact World Pulse about doing research involving our community. Building off of our community-driven Ethical Guidelines and PIE work, World Pulse believes in the importance of conducting data collection and research ethically.

Historically, government, university, and medical institutions have formed research boards following several high-profile instances of unethical research. Although these boards provide some ethical oversight, external researchers have still misrepresented, harmed, excluded, and failed to benefit communities they have studied. As a result, some offline communities, particularly Indigenous communities, have taken matters into their own hands and created their own community research boards that protect their communities’ interests and values. It's crucial for World Pulse to maintain ethical practices to uphold our commitment to the community and safeguard the integrity of the research process.

“The intention of REG is to not only hold World Pulse accountable to its ethical guidelines and values that were community-driven but also to make sure there are opportunities for the community to exercise decision-making and leadership when it comes to research and evaluation,” says Dr. Jasmine R. Linabary who leads Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning at World Pulse and serves as an advisory member for REG. “Community members will have a stake in the spirit of PIE work to pursue initiatives they think merit the attention and energies of the community.”

Members cite many reasons for joining World Pulse’s REG:

“Being a part of the REG is not only my way of giving back to the World Pulse community for all the support it has provided me through thick and thin, but it is also an avenue for me to learn about facets of research from immensely bright friends and colleagues on how we can conduct research in ethical ways,” says Rasika Sundaram, a voting member from India.

“This work is important to me because research provides us with the data that can be used to drive change, especially when the data is evidence-based. Gone are the days when we looked at quantity and not quality or many activities over sustainable social impact. Research can provide useful data that can, in turn, contribute to social and economic impact, inform public policy, and address deep-rooted social, cultural, and economic challenges that enable insecurity, inequities, and violence. Research puts a visual on many hidden problems and, at the same time, helps us to understand that more does not always translate to adequate change, and the lack of investment in research contributes to the prevalence of social and economic problems. Simply put, research is extremely critical as it supports the identification of solutions and shows us things hidden in plain sight,” says Sherna Alexander Benjamin, a voting member from Trinidad and Tobago, currently based in the United States.

"Conducting research with World Pulse is very fulfilling because it allows me to support a cause I deeply care about within a global community that amplifies women's voices and uses technology to empower them,” says E. J. Alawode, a voting member from Nigeria, currently living in Spain.

Learn more with these additional resources

Learn more about World Pulse’s approach to research and evaluation here. For more information or to get involved in research and evaluation efforts, contact research@worldpulse.org