On 26 April 2022, MLW successfully conducted a session on Research Integrity aimed at equipping Field Workers with the information and knowledge of MLW’s research integrity policies.
Clinical Research Support Quality Manager at MLW Brian Ngwira emphasised the need for field workers to produce high-quality research with all research policies and standards observed. Ngwira stressed that misconduct in research can tear whole research apart.
“There are over 16% misconduct cases in research globally; this describes how grave the situation is. This training will help these field workers to get knowledge relevant to their field. In turn, MLW will continue conducting excellent research,” said Ngwira.
The training was attended by over 50 field workers from different research groups which the Community Engagement Coordinator and Fieldwork Services Coordinator Elvis Moyo believes will produce quality work from the knowledge which has been imparted through this training.
“This is the first session of research integrity, and it is very important because it relates to how field workers do their daily work. In many cases, field workers encounter situations that put them in dilemma. Without knowledge of how to handle these situations, fieldworkers can unknowingly sabotage a study due to misconduct. It is important to provide this training because field workers meet dilemmas in places where when no one is watching them, and this puts them in a position that may compromise integrity,” Moyo commented.
Concerning the positive remarks regarding the training, a fieldworker on the Health Utilisation Study (HUS) Amir Saidi, recalled some of the situations in which one can be tempted to go astray from the guidelines and integrity policies.
Saidi thanked MLW for the training, remarking that the research integrity training has provided him with an opportunity to better understand his obligations and responsibilities as a fieldwork researcher. He added that the knowledge acquired from the training will help him identify challenges in the future and how to be responsible and practical in dealing with such complex situations.
From 4-8 April 2022, field workers had another training which also tackled some of the research misconducts and integrity dilemmas.
